Maintain A Balance

Work, school, family, cleaning, errands, and the list goes on and on and on...
After a while sanity begins to get questioned. We need to learn how to juggle our time so that we have time for ourselves. We are so busy taking care of everything else that we forget about ourselves. It is sad but true. We tend to put ourselves on the back burner, because we think taking care of others is more important. However, we need to ask ourselves this:

"How can I take care of someone if I am not doing well?"

The answer is that we can't! We must first take care of our own needs... Now, by no way am I saying neglect others to be selfish. I am only saying FIND A BALANCE.

As an educator, I am expected to be able to put in extra hours from Monday-Friday and sometimes on the weekends just to have a successful week in the classroom. However, is that fair for me to put in all that time with other children when I did not put forth the same effort with my own child??? As a mother, I am expected to make sure all of my child's basic needs are met and educational goals are reached. Is it fair for me to put all of my time in my child without focusing on my relationship with my mate??? As a working mother, wife, and friend I have had to find ways to make time for myself. I have noticed that if I did not put time into doing things that I enjoy, I would eventually "burn out" and begin stressing over things that are not worth the stress. What we need to do is find a hobby, a quiet place, and quiet time to do something that we enjoy every once in a while. I have recently gotten into arts and crafts. I have never been a crafty person, but I am taking the initiative to learn new things. More information on some of the things that I am working on are soon to come with pictures. Until then, here is a list of things that you can do to destress and take care of your needs so that you can be able to take care of someone else's needs:

1. Go window-shopping or even just buy yourself something that you haven't been able to buy in a while.

2. Treat yourself to a meal without the family.

3. Find a hobby that doesn't require a lot of time.

4. Take a class of your interest. Many arts and crafts stores provide pretty inexpensive classes.

5. Go to the gym. We must try to find time to stay fit.

6. Get a manicure and pedicure.

7. Get a full-body massage.

Try to make your own list and choose something that you would like to begin with. Continue adding ideas to your list and choose something from it every once in a while. If you have any ideas about taking time out to take care of yourself, please leave a comment. Many people struggle with this and would love to hear some ideas. Until later, continue to be inspired.

A nice relaxing day at the beach. I love the natural sounds of the waves hitting the shore.