I Need A Day Of Rest

When you are a serious athlete, you work your ass off no matter what sport you participate in. It is not uncommon to push yourself to the point of puking at times.

But no matter what level you are training at, even if you are an Olympian, you also give yourself a day of rest.

Your body needs an opportunity to recover.

I understand this concept as an athlete.

But as a mom and a businesswoman, I continue to struggle in this department.

This is something that was made abundantly clear to me when we were on vacation in North Carolina.

Because that is the first time in literally years that I gave myself permission to do nothing if I wanted to.

And while I comprehend this on an intellectual level, I still have not managed to truly grasp and embrace this philosophy.

It’s one of the reasons why I got so burnt out from parenting that last week before school started.

It’s one of the reasons why I can’t focus well.

Because I don’t shut off.

I don’t say it can wait until tomorrow.

I don’t ever give myself — and more specifically, my brain — a day of recovery.

And I’m not doing that any more.

Working on Sundays has not made me a millionaire.

It hasn’t gotten me a massive retirement account. Or any retirement account.

It hasn’t helped me lose weight or have a cleaner house or spend more time with my kids or pay attention to what my body and brain need.

The only thing working seven days a week has done for me is burn me the f*ck out.

I have made this declaration — the I’m not working on Sundays declaration — before.

And then, inevitably, I fall back into the same unhealthy routine.

I’m not doing it anymore.

My weekends will get more full as we head into the fall.

There will be baseball games and swim meets and now wrestling meets added into the mix.

I’ll have to coach some swim meets, so there will be some Sundays I’ll have to work. But I’d be at the pool watching my kids on those days anyway.

But I’m not doing any other form of work on Sundays anymore.

No emails, no digital course creation, no writing blog posts.

Nothing.

I’m giving myself time to recover.

I’m giving myself time to decompress.

I’m giving myself time to be present with my kids without being preoccupied by the stuff I have on my Sunday to do list.

Sundays will be a day of rest for me from now on.

It is the one aspect of self-care that is really lacking in my routine.

Until this Sunday.

This Sunday if I want to take a nap I’m going to take a nap. If I want to spend three hours on Facebook I’ll spend three hours on Facebook. If I want to clean my room, I’ll clean my room. If I want to work in the yard, I’ll work in the yard. If I want to go for a run, I’ll go for a run. If I want to get a massage, I’ll get a massage. If I want to watch ten episodes of Little House on the Prairie, I’ll watch ten episodes of Little House on the Prairie.

If I wanna sit in my pajamas all day and read a whole bunch of old lady magazines, goddammit, that’s what I’m gonna do.

This Sunday, and every Sunday after that, will be my day of rest.

And I gotta say.

I can’t wait for Sunday.