There is nothing like staying home for real comfort.
— Jane Austen
This weekend, I was tired. Bone tired. Depth-of-my-soul tired.
I love my life and I love what I do, but sometimes all that living and doing is simply … exhausting. By the time the weekend rolls around, I am ready for … nothing. I want to do nothing.
I am pretty sure I am what one would call an Extroverted Introvert. I love people and public speaking and being in the thick of the action. Then, I hit a wall and I want nothing more than (almost) no people and little (to no) action.
Tired
On a whim, I shared a cute little meme post on social media. It said “She believed she could. But she was really tired. So she didn’t.” Within the first 10 hours, I had nearly 100 friends “like” or comment in agreement. All of them were adults.
It has been a long winter and a slow start to spring in much of the United States. Even so, I think the general feeling is one of simply being tired.
We do so much these days. Home, career, hobbies, family, workout (or not). We go-go-go from one activity to the next and sometimes I think we forget to make time for … nothing.
Don’t forget me. I am a longtime believer of the value of “me” time. Even if you are a parent of young children. Even if you are the boss. Even if you work so hard you can’t imagine having time for a shower let alone to pamper yourself.
You’ve got to find and make time. It’s a sanity saver.
Some of it is mindset. Yes, housekeeping and laundry can be a grind. Sometimes if I really stretch myself, I can stop and think about how wonderful it is to have the blessing of a home to get messy and (literal) dirty laundry to address.
I love my job but I also love days off. That’s a balance. When I’m dreading getting up and “adulting” my way into work, I remember that an endless string of days off makes for a very dull me.
Even as you are out there being a super responsible adult-type person, it’s time to embrace the parts of adulthood that childhood you couldn’t wait for!
No child ever said, “When I grow up I can’t wait to pay bills!” “I can’t wait to work on a good toilet clog!” “I can’t wait to get my taxes done!”
No, we were all going to make our own bedtimes (no one said they HAD to be late!); we were going to eat cookies for dinner. We were going to watch all the TV we wanted! (Or was that just me?)
Time to relax
So whether a day or just a moment, cut yourself some slack to actually slack off. Slow down. Don’t make plans. Eat dessert first (or at all!) Stay in your pajamas all day.
Try something new and don’t be afraid to make a mess. Very few things (short of tattoos) are really impossible to reverse. Even those are reversible eventually.
Try a hobby — or even just a recipe. Get curious about something new and really research it — for fun. It’s easier than ever with the world wide web at your fingertips to find publications, presentations and video on just about anything.
Spend a whole day with a good book in bed. If you can’t spare a whole day, how about just going to bed ridiculously early one night? I mean like get in bed when the sun is still up and just watch trashy TV or read until you sleep.
These are all minor suggestions that don’t really cost anything but time. Time is the one thing that we can’t truly “save” or “make.” We can only allot the time we have in ways that feed our souls.
Time has to be something you give yourself. It is time to make time for yourself. Time to rest up and take back the fun parts of being a grown-up.
Sure it’s not all cartoons, cookies, and endless fun we dreamed of as children, but every once in awhile, it should be.
