Running Away from Home

This past weekend, I ran away from home for 3 days and 2 nights on beautiful St. Simon’s Island. The trip was only an idea just the week before. I have toiled away at my computer for the last several months and was truly starting to feel the drain. So…I decided to fix it with a much needed break. I needed water therapy in a bad, bad way.

I knew before I left that I should take a break. Now that I’m back (after taking an extra day to be a bum – hence no post yesterday) I realize just how truly needed my break really was. While my timing wasn’t perfect and the money could have been better spent on things here at the farm, software I want to get to help get my writing organized, etc., my mini vacation was the absolute wisest investment I have made all year.

Dragging Now But So Worth It

While naturally I feel like I’m dragging trying to get back into the swing of work after a weekend lounging at the beach, my outlook on work is much better. I don’t feel quite so drained of creativity as I did last week. That’s a HUGE plus.

I’ve been listening to and read blog posts from my dear friend, JoAnne Barton (a life coach who specializes in self-care for women) for weeks now about the importance of self-care. I heard what she said, and I knew she is so right about the importance of taking care of yourself so that you are in better shape to take care of others. Unfortunately, I have been far too busy meeting professional goals to worry about me – the person behind the professional – to really listen and take what she has to say to heart.

Being Selfish is Good Therapy for a Writer

Now that I’ve finally done something completely and utterly selfish – just for me – and now that I see how much better I feel? I wish I had taken JoAnne’s advice sooner. Seriously.  A LOT sooner!

Take a look at this blog post she wrote over at the Self Care Essentials blog and you’ll see just where I was before I left. I was tolerating impending burn out, among many, many things. I was also “tolerating” not taking some time off because I have some very specific goals in mind and felt I couldn’t possibly take any time off until I met those goals. Then I read JoAnne’s post.

Then I booked a house for the weekend in St. Simon’s Island.

What good is it going to do me to reach all of my professional goals if I’m too tired to enjoy it? Does it really matter if I meet a deadline I set or nudge that deadline out a few weeks so that I can make room for some much needed breaktime? No, not in the slightest. But NOT taking a break could have undermined my goals entirely if that burn out phase hit before I met my goals.

When it comes to keeping my sanity and staying happy? I’ll take a few weeks’ set back over full blown burn out any day of the week! Besides, the beaches were beautiful, the sounds of the surf were intoxicating, and even though I’m a little crispy around the edges, the sun was warm & welcoming.

And I owe it all to JoAnne’s post. Thanks JoAnne for reminding me that I am just as important as everyone else in terms of taking care of me.

You can find JoAnne at Self Care Essentials. I’ve known JoAnne since back in our VA days. I am so happy that she is now coaching rather than doing admin work. She has a real talent for honest, straight forward advice and a true love of other people. Everything she discusses in terms of self care and the importance of sometimes putting YOU before everyone else stems from things she’s experienced in her own life, both personally  and professionally – so she speaks from a place of REAL experience and REAL knowledge, and she is always so darn right about things!

Check her out, go puruse her blog, and take what she says to heart. Coming from someone who now appreciates just what a wise investment taking the time to do what’s right for you can do for you, trust me you don’t want to wait to take her advice. You’re only selling yourself short.

Oh, and by the way, you’ll be seeing a link to JoAnne’s site over in the sidebar soon. I want folks to hear what she has to say, so I’m going to make it easy for you guys to find her.

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