Me Time
As a wife and a mom, I recognize the importance of some good quality "me time." It is imperative to have time to regroup, rest, shut your mind down, and have some space between me and my day-to-day activities of taking care of my family.
While taking care of them is my number one priority, here is what I can tell you about having some alone time. I am about to be unapologetically and brutally honest here. So prepare yourself for what you are about to read.
I am a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom. I chose this life. I love this life. But this life, gets to me sometimes. Sometimes I lose my cool and lash out at my kids and my husband. It isn't right, but it is what happens. My husband will tell me to go to the beach by myself, or plan a girls night with my friends... which I always do and I always fully need and enjoy. It isn't WRONG to be apart from your family, from your home life. He sends me on weekends away and I travel for work without them. And I always, ALWAYS come back refreshed and recharged.
It is important to have this in your life. I have daily me-time when I step into my home gym and work out my frustrations and emotions. Exercise, to me, is not a selfish thing, it is a necessity. Just as having long absences is a necessity to keeping a happy Joslin. Do you spend time taking care of you? Read a good book, go for a long walk alone, spend a weekend away with your friends. And do NOT feel guilty about it.
It's ironic that I am writing this and telling you all this right now, because on the flip side... too much time away can be an eye opening experience.
My boys (and by boys, I mean ALL of my boys... my sons and my husband) have been away on their annual "Man's Trip" as they call it. They have done so many wonderful things together and have made incredible memories. I am so grateful and so thankful to have a husband that can do this with his children. Not everyone is that lucky. I recognize this. As I write this, they are still away... by the time they get home, it will have been FOURTEEN (!!) days they have been gone.
So, what have I learned from these past 2 weeks?
1. That old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder? 100% true.
2. A week of "me time", recharging and refreshing... I realize that is long enough.
I know that this is all contradictory of what I was saying at the beginning. But, I want you to understand something. We ALL need time alone. Time to be US and no one else. I was just Joslin... not mom... not wifey... just me. For. Two. Whole. Weeks. There has been lots of soul searching and evaluating how I feel about myself and let's just say, there is some work that needs to be done. Which is why it is important that we take the time. Take time to be YOU. To discover who you REALLY are deep down. And know that it is OK to take that time. Everyone deserves it, no matter who you are.
So, today, take a half hour and do something just for you:
Take your Me Time. But not too long... because then you will just become heart sick like me!!
Enjoy your life. And stop taking the things that frustrate you for granted. Or hey! Maybe take 2 weeks and really reevaluate your life, you might be surprised to find out who you really are!
While taking care of them is my number one priority, here is what I can tell you about having some alone time. I am about to be unapologetically and brutally honest here. So prepare yourself for what you are about to read.
It is important to have this in your life. I have daily me-time when I step into my home gym and work out my frustrations and emotions. Exercise, to me, is not a selfish thing, it is a necessity. Just as having long absences is a necessity to keeping a happy Joslin. Do you spend time taking care of you? Read a good book, go for a long walk alone, spend a weekend away with your friends. And do NOT feel guilty about it.
It's ironic that I am writing this and telling you all this right now, because on the flip side... too much time away can be an eye opening experience.
My boys (and by boys, I mean ALL of my boys... my sons and my husband) have been away on their annual "Man's Trip" as they call it. They have done so many wonderful things together and have made incredible memories. I am so grateful and so thankful to have a husband that can do this with his children. Not everyone is that lucky. I recognize this. As I write this, they are still away... by the time they get home, it will have been FOURTEEN (!!) days they have been gone.
So, what have I learned from these past 2 weeks?
1. That old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder? 100% true.
I miss my man more than I have ever in our marriage. I miss our talks. The things I have taken for granted, like holding his hand and sharing dinner together... missing! I miss having him here. Period. And my kids?! Don't even get me started! Mom is definitely missing her boys big time! Every. Single. Thing about them.
2. A week of "me time", recharging and refreshing... I realize that is long enough.
Those first seven days by myself were awesome. I read a couple books, had a clean house, no laundry to do, no chores, no one to look after 24/7. But after a week, I found that I just starting worrying and stressing over things out of my control... like what my family was doing, whether they were safe. My mind is a terrible place when left to it's own devices for too long.3. I am nothing without my family.
N-O-T-H-I-N-G. They complete me. They are my source of frustration at times, yes... but ultimately they are my source of life. They give me meaning. All of them.
I know that this is all contradictory of what I was saying at the beginning. But, I want you to understand something. We ALL need time alone. Time to be US and no one else. I was just Joslin... not mom... not wifey... just me. For. Two. Whole. Weeks. There has been lots of soul searching and evaluating how I feel about myself and let's just say, there is some work that needs to be done. Which is why it is important that we take the time. Take time to be YOU. To discover who you REALLY are deep down. And know that it is OK to take that time. Everyone deserves it, no matter who you are.
So, today, take a half hour and do something just for you:
- Mediate
- Go to the library
- Take a bath or a long shower
- Go shopping
- Go for a bike ride
- Give yourself a mani/pedi
Take your Me Time. But not too long... because then you will just become heart sick like me!!
Enjoy your life. And stop taking the things that frustrate you for granted. Or hey! Maybe take 2 weeks and really reevaluate your life, you might be surprised to find out who you really are!
Me? I am a wife and a mom... and I can't wait to hold my family again.
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