Take a “Me Day”

The holidays are fast approaching. Don't get lost in the shuffle.

It's easy to get overwhelmed just thinking about the shopping, baking, buying, decorating, wrapping and 1,001 other details that come with Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah. 

A woman I consider to be my spiritual guide once told me to save some space on the calendar for me. You have to take care of you before you can take care of everyone else, she reminded me.

"If you don't get some alone time, your personality degrades," she warned me.

How did she know?

My personality really does degrade.

When I don't take care of me, when I try to run on empty, I get irritable, restless and grouchy.  I start to question everything in my life, my job, my friends, my future, my spouse, when all I need to do is take a nap, eat a hot meal, listen to Bach, watch a chic flik or read a little Mary Oliver.

 I can only give people my best self when I take good care of myself.

So this is my gift to you. A simple reminder:

Before November and December are completely filled with tasks and to-do's, put yourself on your own calendar. Choose a day each week and mark in big letters: ME.

I bought pink sticky notes shaped like hearts to claim time for me. 

Sometimes I'm guilty of moving the heart into the next week, but now instead of one sticky heart a week, I put two on the calendar every week so I'm more likely to actually get my day for me.

What do I do with a Me Day?

Refill. Reboot. Recharge. Relax. Recover. Restore.

I read. Light candles. Breathe. Take a bubble bath. Go for a slow walk nowhere. Call my BFF. Play sudoku. Flip through magazines. Nap in a sunbeam like a cat.

Then I'm ready to be my best self.

Give it a try and let me know what works best to fill your well.