Hello! I know the title of this post might seem a bit extra to some, considering I just recently was on vacation. But, oh my goodness is it necessary. Upon returning home from my trip, my work days were absolutely insane. We’re talking rising at seven to get ready and going, going, going nonstop until my arrival home after nine at night. Ah, the joys of playing catch up when you work for yourself and don’t get PTO!

With all of that craziness in mind, it was so important for me to make time for myself to go skating in between clients this past week. Despite a forty-five minute drive there and back to the rink, just one hour on the ice made me feel much better. The cold air, the challenge, and the exercise was more than enough to clear my head half way through the week and gave me the drive to push through until my weekend days off.

Sometimes, I have a really hard time making time for myself. I will work myself so hard to the point that, when I do have free time, I just want to veg out and do nothing. And, believe me, I was feeling this way last week like no other. But, I pushed myself to get to skating practice, even though I was riding the struggle bus, and it was well worth it. Not only did I feel proud of myself for having a good skate, but it left me feeling invigorated and ready for work, which I had to be at shortly after practice.

Making time for yourself doesn’t mean that you need to take an entire mental health day. Although, sometimes, that’s good too! Rather, I took under three hours of my day to do something that I really enjoy and the pay off was grand. Over the past few months, I have experienced the effects of feeling burnt out, and it is no walk in the park. But, I know that if I keep carving out time for myself during my work week, that my mental health will continue to improve and my determination to finish the week strong instead of idly passing through it will keep me on top in all aspects of my life.

How do you make time for you during your working hours? What do you do for yourself when you start to feel burnt out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah