“The best investment you can make is in yourself. Self-care, self-love and self-development. Give more to yourself and you will have more to give to others.” ~Akiroq Brost

Dear Universe,

It seems time is flying by lately.

I can’t believe it’s already March.

I can’t believe that spring is around the corner.

And I can’t believe that pretty soon our baby will arrive.

Sometimes it doesn’t feel like time is flying, but rather disappearing like a cloud of dust seen in my rearview mirror as I continue to keep going.

Everything has been so jam-packed-busy lately—which is a good thing! But with so much happening, it feels more and more like one day spills into the next, one week turns into two and the months tick by in a flash.

It hit me a couple of months ago that I should probably make a list of things I want to do, have to do, need to do, before the baby comes.

As I made my list—you all know I am a fan of lists upon lists upon lists—an odd thought struck me.

I wanted a day to myself. I wanted to go to my favorite spa and use the gift card I’ve had for over a year and just pause. I wanted to sit, relax, get completely and utterly zenned out and treat myself without having to worry about the lists—just for one day.

The idea seemed impossible or selfish or indulgent.

It also seemed so divine and made me smile every time I imagined it.

I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to set aside time for self-care. After all, I’m a huge proponent of it for others! I teach mindfulness and meditation about these very things—taking care of our needs and tuning into what our soul is telling us.

And I am good at self-care in small doses. Like really small, tiny doses: a cup of tea while curled up with my favorite book (for a short time), driving out of my way to get my favorite smoothie (and then rushing to get back on the road to my next destination), listening to a podcast (but then getting to the phone calls that need to happen)…

You get the idea. I try to be mindful, present and do the things that fill me up, but inevitably they are only for brief moments because there are so many other things waiting for me.

So the idea of taking an entire day, to myself, just to relax, with no phone calls, lists, and running around, seemed crazy.

But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it to happen.

After all, once the baby comes, I really won’t be able to just book a day for myself, and certainly not on a whim.

And so I took out my calendar to look for a day. A day off. And it was hard. Between work and business, doctors’ appointments, events, teaching meditation, speaking engagements… I realized there were only a few days I could choose from to make this happen.

I actually couldn’t believe how jam packed my schedule had gotten. Had I waited even a week more, it might have been impossible to pick a day.

So I did the most natural thing I could do.

I added it to my list: “call the spa.”

I’m not kidding. I actually still put off calling and making the appointment! Like I said, taking an entire day isn’t something I do very often.

The words sat on my list for days, taunting me, challenging me, begging me to notice them, until finally I couldn’t ignore them anymore. I had no more excuses to put it off. I called the spa and made myself a promise that I wouldn’t just go for my appointment, but that I would make a day of it.

As the day got closer, I got more excited. It was actually going to happen. No new appointments had popped up, and I was doing this!

Self-care was happening.

I got to the spa first thing in the morning; well, actually that’s not true. First thing in the morning, I answered emails, filled some orders and went to the post office. But I still got to the spa fairly early and feeling better that I had checked email for the day.

I changed into a robe and slippers and ordered a smoothie. I curled up with a book by a fireplace and got comfy on a lounge chair. I was ready to relax!

Except I wasn’t. I’m not going to lie. It was hard to disconnect. I found myself making the mistake of checking my phone, seeing an urgent business email and having to respond.

I was not relaxed, not even close. It felt like I was at home sitting at my desk, not in this beautiful spa smelling of lavender, with the sounds of the fire crackling as my only soundtrack. I got mad at myself. I was doing this all wrong!

So once I hit send, I made a vow. I would get off email, social media, and phone calls for the rest of the day.

So I did.

And here’s the thing. After a little while, I was able to fully relax. I didn’t miss the ding of my phone. I wasn’t curious if new emails were waiting for me and I didn’t wonder what was happening on social media. I found myself rather enjoying the silence and the peace.

After a much needed pre-natal massage (because I have been experiencing some aches and pains and when else would I get to try a pre-natal massage?) I treated myself to lunch—still in my robe, still with book in hand.

And I let myself not rush home when normally I would have. I read for a while more, sipped on some herbal tea and finally, eventually, decided I should make the drive home.

I made the ride in silence—no radio, no podcasts, no phone calls. Because a funny thing happens when you disconnect for a bit: you are not in a rush to reconnect.

I came home feeling mellowed out and content. I couldn’t remember the last time I had taken an entire day to do something like that.

So often people talk about self-care Sundays, which is a great concept. And there are people who preach about self-care everyday, also a great concept.

But so many of us simply let self-care slide to the wayside. With so many responsibilities and routines, it’s hard to take good care of ourselves. It’s hard to set aside time, and even when we do, it’s hard to stick to it—or hard not to feel guilty about it.

My spa day was a reminder that I do want to make more time for things like this. I came back feeling refreshed, and ready to tackle my lists again—but not until the next day.

Sometimes other things can wait, and your self-care can’t.

I’m grateful that I felt the nudge to get the spa day in and that I followed through with it. I hope the next time I get a self-care nudge, I don’t put it on my to-do list and that I just jump in to do it.

Time doesn’t always have to fly. We don’t always need to be in a rush.

Slowing down, hitting pause and enjoying the scenery right in front of us, is sometimes all we need to refresh, replenish and gain a whole new sense of appreciation.

With Gratitude,