Where’s the R&R?

Let’s take a moment. No seriously. Just sit down for a second. Shut your eyes and breathe. It has become nearly impossible for some women to just find a moment to chill. Where’s the R&R? From corporate executives to stay-at-home moms, women naturally exude a need to be industrious. We have to-do lists that are a mile long and not enough daylight hours.

With a house full of boys and animals (sometimes it’s hard to differentiate the two), I find myself overloaded with tasks with little room for reflection or indulgences. Add studying for a master’s and working as a tutor to the mix and the word “relax” sounds like a foreign language and “break” is only associated with dishes. Privacy is a long-forgotten myth and quiet time is an archaic concept. Women tend to put others needs before their own and that sacrifice is part of our roles but not at the expense of lowering our own quality of life. Ladies, we are running our engines dry. Coffee and wine can only take us so far. At this rate, we are either going to crash or combust.

With a spike in mental health issues, especially with depression being most common in women, the necessity for some leisure is paramount. Take a one-minute meditation session where you repeat the mantra, “Smell the flowers, Blow out the candles.” Go to the bathroom with some Chamomile tea, LOCK THE DOOR, and run yourself an aroma therapy bath. Spend two hours applying face mask after face mask with a glass of red wine as your only company.; detoxifying, stress relieving, clarifying, brightening, then radiance (Best 15-minute increment face mask sequence ever). Sit in your garden with a cup of coffee and let the buzzing of the bees lull you into tranquility.

I’m not suggesting that we all just stop taking care of our responsibilities. In fact, I’m saying the exact opposite. Take care of your duty to yourself. If you fall, no one else is going to clean up your mess. If you have people that rely on you, it’s your priority to take care of yourself. Taking a break is crucial to your stability. Don’t feel guilty for being tired. Don’t rationalize that you have too much to do. Forget the presentation on Monday to give yourself thirty minutes to recharge. Leave the Laundry where it is and go watch the sunset. Make Hubby feed the baby. Have a Calgon moment. Embark on a spiritual quest. Or simply take a moment to breathe. Take care of your mental by taking a break.

I promise you it’s possible. Bump that. It’s necessary. For your mental health, your psychological being, for your very sanity. Our minds are our greatest asset. Nurture your psyche by allowing some negative space in your life. Provide your well-being with appropriate time for reflection. Soothe your inner superhero by basking in the perks of being a woman. Indulge in the pleasures that calm you. Hustle Hard, Grind Gracefully, then Reward yourself with Rest and Relaxation.