not from work . . .
because all of my vacation went to maternity leave. but i think i’m going to take the next 4 – 5 days off from from running and working out. and, i’m going to go to bed as early as i can and just rest up as much as possible.
the thing is: i’m terrible at giving myself time off. i’m not terrible at taking time off, because sometimes i just say FORGET IT and skip a planned workout in favor of stretching out on the couch with a carton of haagen daz. it happens when i’m tired, when i’m too overwhelmed with work, or if i’m not in the mood. but it’s rare that i actually give myself permission — even a plan — to relax.
it’s been 6 months since my last significant running hiatus — and that was right after, you know, giving birth. so now seems like a logical time to take another one.
8 Comments
I don’t plan breaks in advance, I more than likely end up feeling really sleepy or worn out or burnt out and decide to take a week or two off at that time. It can be hard, but those weeks tend to be more productive for me long-term.
I just did a mental check and I don’t think I’ve taken an exercise break in over 6 months myself. I’m not great at planning them, but if something happens like vacation or sickness, I do it without thinking twice.
I used to take the week off from cooking sometimes b.c (before children). When I had a busy week at work or was tired in general (or from marathon training) I’d buy give frozen dinners or eat takeout for the week. It was actually quite nice. Now I think the structure of sitting down to dinner as a family is too important to give up even for a week.
We are going alway for two weeks to a resort soon and that will be a break from cooking and cleaning. Ah I can’t wait!
Enjoy your break and come back refreshed!
Let me know more about the story. I want to tell this story to my daughter, when she become 7 year. Currently she is 5 year old.
Your son is too cute! He’s the absolute spit of his daddy. What’s his name – I assume it starts with an a?
I think the hard thing about planning breaks is that I feel like when I do plan one, it’s not when I really need one so I don’t take it that easy, and I really need one during times that I’ve planned to work hard so I feel guilty for not pushing as hard as I can. I’d love to be able to figure out the right timing…
This sounds very wise (although I’ll miss your frequent posting!). I’m very good at giving myself breaks when I’m on vacation, but otherwise I rarely give myself permission to not do things. Like you, I more often end up not doing things because I’m exhausted, and then I feel lazy and guilty about everything. Not a mentally healthy approach to life!
I’m the same way!! I hardly even let myself relax and take scheduled breaks unless I’m on a vacation. I really need to adopt this wise mindset more often. So healthy for ones physical and mental state!