I realised last week I had not taken my self-care days in September. (Because I didn’t have one before July, I’m trying to make up for it by having a couple a month). So in the last couple of days of the month, I’ve squeezed in a long, lazy lunch with friends and an appointment with my acupuncturist. I know the better cared for I am, the easier life is, the better I feel and the more I can get done.
But when I haven’t taken one for a while, I seem to forget this and go into “too busy, must work” robot mode. I really noticed this last week when I realised I’d taken 1/2 a day this month, and with one week to go, I summarily decided that I didn’t need any more self-care days, I was fine, and anyway, even if I did need it and wasn’t fine, I am very busy and important and I don’t have time for self-care days.
Hmm…are you seeing the rather obvious flaw in this thought process? That I don’t have time for something that has proven time and again to make me more efficient, more effective, happier and healthier?
Fortunately, I ignored the (loud and obnoxious) voice inside my head telling me I didn’t have time for this and took out my diary to see when I could do it, even though I didn’t have time for it. I found some time. I soothed my Miss Work Hard Whiplash side by saying I could have 2 half days, therefore being able to work on both days. I lied, one of them was a full day.
But by then Miss Work Hard Whiplash had seen the effects of the time off and was more inclined to give me some slack. As always – feeling relaxed, happier, healthier…creating space for inspiration and ideas, and when I got back to The Desk, feeling refreshed and ready to kick some serious editing butt.
I have no doubt that having had that time off will inspire me to do more this week than I would have without it. We’ve been programmed that good little worker bees do long hours, work hard, never slack off. And yet the most productive, happiest and most successful people I know don’t do that.
They slow down, they create space, they take care of themselves…and when they are working, they are able to perform at their very best, so they get shit loads more done in the time they have. There is no brain-fog, brain-fry, exhaustion, overwork or lack of energy making them ineffective and limited.
What if your good health were more important to your productivity than hours spent working? (It is.)
What if slowing down to refuel was a sign of wisdom and competence rather than being lazy and neglectful? (It is.)
If all that were true (it is), then when would you book in a self-care day or half-day?
Even if you are too busy and important, and don’t have time for it.
Maybe in fact, you don’t have time not to take a self-care day?
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