Sometimes you just need a break. I’m not talking about a simple weeklong vacation to somewhere tropical, although that’s awesome and sometimes the only time away that we’re able to take. What I’m talking about is, just completely peacing out of your everyday routine for as long as you need to; which is exactly what I did in 2017.
Earlier this year, my life changed in a way that it needed to for quite some time. I had been trying to make that change myself, but when I was unsuccessful in that mission, the universe took over and made it happen with the swift kick in the behind that I needed, and just like that, I was free! (Insert high five emoji here)
After only a few days, it was clear that I needed some serious time to myself. I needed to recover from the stress that my body and mind had been put through for so long and to just calm the f down.
With that being said, here is a list of some of the things I did during my mental health break:
· Traveled to Las Vegas, New York City, Boston and Vancouver - some of those solo
· Spent quality time with family and friends
· Upped my exercise routine
· Caught up on reading
· Spent time outside by the lake on every nice summer day
· Made some major life decisions
· Woke up without an alarm
This time to myself was so essential to my well-being. I was no longer a shell of myself. I was back to being the Scerina I was before the wind was taken from my sails. I was once again the Scerina with fire in my belly and determination in my eyes.
I know that we have so much constantly going on in our lives. We’re on 24/7, glued to our phones. Working long stressful hours, running around like chickens with our heads cut off, making sure the kids get to all their after-school activities, putting in effort with our social and personal lives, etc. Moreover, we have a seemingly never-ending news cycle of stressful world events, which has definitely taken a toll on us.
I know that it can be challenging to take some time for yourself, but I promise you that if you are in need of a mental health break, you and everyone else in your life will benefit from it. The fact of the matter is, if we don’t have our health, what do we really have?
Do you know what the best part about my mental health break was? Doing whatever I damn well pleased, WITHOUT feeling guilty!