A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the dictum “work before play” made sure that everyday needs would win out over my needs for fun and play nearly every time. Once I realized this, I immediately saw this “work ethic” as a self-limiting belief, and I set about to make a change.
It’s been fun! It’s also been very eye-opening. Until I started taking action, I had no idea that meeting these needs would also meet my needs for:
Autonomy
Privacy
Self-direction
Inner clarity, and
Wholeness
This is because to meet my needs for fun and play I need to take time for myself. Which I’m finding to be a key strategy in taking care of myself.
Here’s what happened. I was noodling around my Audible account and saw a book: The Dangerous Old Woman, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. I hesitated. Would I take the time to listen to it?
It looked so interesting I decided to listen to the sample. When I heard what I heard, I knew not only did I need to hear it, but I also wanted to commit time to it—and not at home, where the temptation to interrupt me was too great.
So, I grabbed my stuff, went to the bookstore, and started listening. When I came home, I felt refreshed. I had renewed energy, even for the dishes.
I had actually carved out time for myself. Yay for me!
My favorite discovery is the one-hour vacation. For me, the one-hour vacation is an opportunity to leave all my responsibilities effectively behind for just one hour and do something that is just for me. It has the flavor of playing hooky without the fear of getting caught.
I like leaving the house and I highly recommend it. I like the anonymity of being somewhere where no one is going to interrupt me, and where there are no dirty dishes to notice. For example, walking in my backyard works when there’s no one home. Because spring is springing, I go back there to look for new leaves and buds and see them unfold. I listen to all the birds and watch the squirrels. I get lost in the sensations of spring.
The one-hour vacation, or whatever it is I do to take time for myself, gives me back so much more than the hour I give it. It is restorative. It gives me balance and strength. It meets vital needs for wholeness, independence, and clarity. It helps me remember that I am important.
Maybe it will help you as well.
