The Importance of Giving Yourself a Break, and not feel guilty
Compassion
"Self-compassion (SC) involves being kind to oneself when confronting personal inadequacies or situational difficulties, framing the imperfection of life in terms of common humanity, and being mindful of negative emotions so that one neither suppresses nor ruminates on them." Neff & Beretvas (2013)
As a mom and head of household, I continuously struggling with taking a F%&@${*H? break all the time. The To-Do list is a mile long. And somehow, everyone needs you at the exact moment that you want to unplug and do something for yourself. However, it is so important to rest, relax, and reset. In doing so, you become more efficient, productive, healthier, and a happier version of yourself.
Self-Care
If you are like me, you cringe at the idea of taking a break. You feel guilty and regret it the moment your start, thinking that you are being "selfish" and "self-centered." I have felt anxiety, shame for even saying that I need to take a break. As a parent, we have been wired to function according to a version of parenting no longer exists or is even sustainable.
The first step to self-care and re-charge it to start giving yourself compassion, giving thanks for making it this far (and no one has been murdered, and all family members have their limbs attached to their bodies). And second, you’re willing to treat yourself with kindness, mindfulness, and grace.
Examples of when to Take a Break
Moments of the revelation of when to give yourself a break:
When it feels like you are lost
When deciding between opportunities
When you "wasted" a few hours on something you wanted.
When you compare your success to others.
When your space and home isn't spotless.
In the little fights, you get with your partner.
When struggling to get motivated
When you feel you are not caring for your body.
When you compare yourself with Social Media posts.
When you don't see eye-to-eye with family and friends.
When you feel like you are not enough
Start by taking a 15 minutes break in the morning, wake up before anyone else, and give yourself that time to breathe and take in the day. And slowly continue adding 15 minutes intervals, where you disconnect from the phone and the world, to ground yourself to your center.