I recently saw a reel on social media that hit home for me. It was a mom saying that a day “off” without work or a kid isn’t a break. Going to the grocery store without your kid is not a break. Folding laundry in silence is not a break. The list goes on. I feel this sentiment 100%, and today I am having one of those days.
My morning started with getting my son up and ready for preschool for the day. After I got home and made some breakfast, I promptly started to tackle the dishes and clean the kitchen. After that, I started a massive pile of laundry. In between loads of laundry and folding, I started the project of packing away my son’s 3T size clothing with some 4T we got for the holidays (I noticed he was sporting some highwaters yesterday). Somewhere in there was a lunch break and now I’m finally carving out some time to write a blog post. I am exhausted.
Sometimes I just need a break in general. I often find that my days to “relax” end with the realization I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do, just what I felt I obligated to do. This was an especially toxic trait during my previous job. I worked in a fast-paced healthcare environment, which involved long hours and overnight call-ins. Instead of taking a break and getting rest, I would feel obligated to use my “day off” to do chores, errands, yardwork, and anything else to keep a functional household running. In retrospect, I see how bad that was for my mental and physical health. These days, I try to add more self-care into my daily routine.
On that note, I am going to wrap up this blog post and use my last hour before pickup to play some video games and unwind. If you’re in a similar boat, take the time for yourself. You deserve it.