What have you done for YOU?

We started a childbirth education class last week and the instructor asked this question: 

What have you done for yourself this week that was just for yourself, for no one else?

I thought about it for myself, and realized I didn’t have a great answer. The next day was gorgeous, so my natural inclination was to take advantage of the sunshine and go to the park for a walk with Reba, my pup. 

Then I realized: I don’t enjoy walks as much when she is with me. She pulls, I get frustrated, and heaven forbid we see another dog on the trail. 

And so I got in the car, brushing off a little bit of dog-mom guilt (it’s real, folks), and went to Point Defiance by myself—for myself—to go for a walk. And it felt amazing.

Our instructor’s point in asking the question was to realize that time like this is fleeting, when we can leave our “dependent” home alone and jaunt off to the woods or what have you. As much as I’m looking forward to their arrival, I want to take advantage of this time, too.

So I’m turning question to you: 

What have you done for yourself this week that was just for yourself, for no one else?

If you, like me, don’t have an answer for last week, what can you plan to do in the next week—or maybe today or maybe tomorrow—that’s just for yourself and for no one else? 

Maybe it won’t be 2 hours in the forest--maybe it looks like 5 minutes locked in the bathroom with your phone. Maybe it’s a short walk before the kids get up. Maybe it’s watching an episode of Bridgerton by yourself, without your partner. Maybe it’s sipping coffee (still hot!) in silence.

Make a plan to take a few moments for yourself. Because when you take care of yourself, you can take better care of others, too.

Xo, Mandi