Remember how I said I was dreading this weekend? That I had to work all-day Saturday and was planning to spend Sunday doing homework? Well, Saturday went as planned (work is work) but Sunday was different. Different in the most marvelous way.
After a very long Saturday I came back to my apartment and crashed. When I woke up in the morning I randomly decided to ignore my to-do list. (Side note: I’m starting to hate those words. I don’t really have a “to-do list.” Just sh*t that must get done soon.) I was exhausted from a stressful first week back and, quite frankly, did not feel like staring at a computer screen doing homework or being stuck inside cleaning my room.
So I made Sunday a “me day.” I prioritized self-care. I didn’t do one productive thing. It was glorious.
Before you start thinking “aw, good for her for treating herself,” you should know that this is not new for me. I’ve become very aware of when it’s time for me to ditch my to-do list. I know when I need a break and I don’t feel guilty for taking it. So this happens a lot, but I just don’t blog about it every single time (sometimes I do) because a) I don’t need support that I “did the right thing” and b) I think it’s something a lot of people in the “real world” do.
I hate the glorification of busy (that’s a whole post in itself), and I feel like a lot of people/bloggers say they are always “busy.” Duh, everyone’s busy. Whether you’re a student, a stay-at-home-parent, a working parent, etc., we all have full plates. Even when we aren’t actually busy we tend to say we are because it seems like the cool thing to do. That’s not a club I want to be apart of.
This was my scene until noon.
I had a leisurely breakfast, caught up on some magazines and watched Netflix. Later, I went to the gym, saw my friend perform in a play on-campus, went shopping and actually spent money (I’m a perpetual “saver” so it’s rare for me to spend money on something other than food). I even got a massage. Thank you, gift card.
I cooked a delicious dinner, watched some March Madness (my bracket is ruined) and finished with some light yoga.
No homework. No cleaning. No schedule. Just how weekend’s should be, right?!
My usual (and favorite) dinner.
Full disclosure, I knew I didn’t have anything important due tomorrow in class so I was just “slacking” on the rest of the week’s assignments.
I think prioritizing self-care is extremely important and whether it involves spending time outside, walking, exercise, shopping, cooking, sleeping or Netflix-binging, it needs to happen sometimes. Also, I don’t think we should wait until we explode from our full schedules to have this type of day. I think they should be a regular thing. Ok, maybe not a shopping spree every week, but an occasional splurge, monetary or not, shouldn’t be a big deal.
Just don’t go into debt and blame it on me.
My sunday was more or less the same thing–not much done but I spent my lovely time doing things very slowly, such as cooking, eating, and yoga-ing!
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That sounds like a perfect Sunday!
I’m trying to get better at this as well – I tend to view self care as being productive and working hard. But, yesterday I actually sat on my couch NOT working for like 2 hours. It felt, so, so nice!
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Good for you! It really does feel nice to decompress like that. Hope you felt rested :)
I definitely ditched the “to-do” list this weekend and instead enjoyed time with friends and family. I can’t always do that, but it’s nice when the opportunity arises! :)
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Agreed! We can’t always afford downtime, as “life happens.” But I’m definitely a proponent of taking advantage of the opportunity went it arises.
Too often we are caught up on what we need/should be doing to live in the moment. I find “to-do” lists circulate my life frequently. I truly enjoy those days when I give myself the TLC it needs – massages are my favorite way to do just that!
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Living in the moment is easier said than done, but it’s so important. Massages are one of my favorite non-guilty “guilty” pleasures. Plus it helps after a long run or hard workout so I’m relaxing and helping my body recover.
YES! I think my life has definitely calmed down a lot since college in the best way possible. I still somehow pack my weekends with events and wish I had some more downtime (which is actually coming very soon once i get the guts to tell the running store I need to take a break for awhile) but I think there are very few things that *have* to be done. I used to be all about getting ahead on sundays for the week, but by senior year I decided to let myself enjoy Sundays as a day of rest/relaxation. We don’t need to be busy ALL.THE.TIME. It’s not necessary. 9 times out of 10 that thing we think we have to do can wait. I’m glad you make time to prioritize self-care– and that you don’t feel the need to blog about it. Because you’re right- it’s not something that you need others to reassure you on. It’s just a part of life that most “normal” people already do.
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It dawned on me the other day that after I college I won’t have homework on the weekends. Obviously work may follow me home in the future but I can only hope to find a happy medium. You’re right, when I think about the things on my to-do list, most aren’t extremely important. 90% can usually wait until the next day and I’m completely fine with that.
I bet cutting down on work at the running store was a tough decision to come to. I know how much you love it, but good for you for wanting to lessen your load for the time being.
People don’t relax enough. Yesterday I was feeling kind of crappy, tired and blah. So I didn’t work out. And didn’t change out of my PJs for most of the day. That’s nothing to feel guilty about!
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EXACTLY! I do that more often than not and I feel sorry for people who don’t or can’t relax.
It wasn’t until I got in college that I realized the importance of self-care and having those days where I focus on doing things to rejuvenate myself. I often get caught up in getting things done on my “to-do list” that I don’t realize I need self-care time until it happens. I try to take time out of every weekend to focus on taking care of myself, even if that means putting off assignments that can wait until later. I love treating myself by reading a good book!
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Taking time every weekend for yourself is more important than a small school assignment (my professional opinion :P). I love sitting outside an reading. Any good book recommendations?
Woohoooo go girl! :) Sometimes that’s just what you need. And I feel like you’ll be that much more recharged & ready for the week!
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I was not dreading Monday in the least! I actually woke up earlier than my alarm and felt great all day.
Most of my days are spent kinda doing nothing and then forcing myself to get a few things done. Even if it’s just one thing, I know that the day was at least “okay”.
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I used to feel guilty for going to bed without having done anything productive all day. But when I think about it, it’s silly to judge a day by how much you “checked off” your list. As long as you spent the day doing what you wanted, it’s not a waste in my mind!
Love this and would love to hear more of your thoughts about the glorification of busy. I remember especially in college how certain circles of friends were obsessed with being busy and being involved in everything. This mentality can be so dangerous because we forget how to focus one one thing at a time (or maybe that’s just me). True days off can definitely m
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oops! Comment got cut off – but what I meant to say was true days off can make you more productive the rest of the week! Happy Monday <3
Georgie Morley recently posted…How to Make a (Baller) Smoothie Bowl
It really can be dangerous. I have a friend who is involved (and president/captain) in many activities and she gets burnt out frequently. Rarely sleeps, always running late and, sometimes, things don’t get done because there’s a million things on her plate. I like to think I enjoy being busy…and I do to an extent…but not the kind that compromises my well-being. Hope your Monday rocked ;)
I totally agree with this post! Sometimes it’s easy to feel guilty for not being busier, when what really makes me happy is just sitting on the couch and relaxing after work (well, and running, of course). There is no prize for being the busiest, so it would be silly to chase busyness if that’s not actually what I want. I think sometimes throwing out your to do list for a day is a great way to recharge.
Rebecca @ MyEagerFeet recently posted…Weekly Training Recap: 3/2-3/8
I feel like some people are competing in an imaginary “who is the busiest” contest. Good for them, I guess. But like you, that’s not something I want to do.
Massages are my guilty pleasure. Especially important after all that running we do – it feels extra special!
It makes it feel less guilty because we physically deserve and need the massage ;)
What a healthy yet delicious looking dinner!
I agree with you, i think its so important to have a ‘me’ day every once in a while. Sometimes it is so hard to shut your brain off and just reeeelaaaaaxxxx.
I like to treat myself with pizza and a movie sometimes. Just relaxing at home and not having to worry about going out and looking good or working on my website!
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Relaxing at home, wearing sweats and watching a movie is one of my favorite ways to decompress. It’s so simple but enjoyable for me :)
Wow! You’re so right! It’s important to give ourselves a break every once in a while!! …and your fav. dinner looks amazing! YUM! I love sweet potatoes!! :)
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I’m surprised I haven’t turned orange from the amount of sweet potatoes I eat :)
Good for you! Taking that time off is so important for mental health (aka, sanity)!
I agree, our society has glorified the idea of being “busy”. It drives me nuts to hear people say they’re too busy to do something for themselves. There’s likely a very small handful of people in extreme situations who are truly too busy… the rest of us just need to prioritize better and be honest about our life!
On the weekend I had a huge list of stuff I wanted to get done… then laughed as I stayed on the couch scrolling Instagram. So busy!
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I agree! There are very few people who physically don’t have time to do anything for themselves. Thinking about those people reminds me that my perception of “busy” is screwed and I’m just not planning well-enough. Haha sounds like we had a similar weekend :) Hopefully with more like that to come!
Advice on how to do this and stop the guilt ? how to get off the “busy train” when everyone around you is on it and it feels so ingrained ?
Over the years I’ve learned to protect my downtime. Now I have a full weekend without plans once per month and try to have several hours per week to relax and decompress. It’s something it took me awhile to prioritize, but it helps SO MUCH. You’re lucky you learned this early!
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