Are you one of those people that goes and goes and doesn’t take time for yourself?  Are you like me and constantly tell people how important it is to pamper yourself so you can better serve others, but can’t even follow your own directions?  I’m not sure if it’s perhaps the changing of seasons, but the past 2 months have left me feeling depleted.  I definitely have not been taking time out from each day for myself, always pushing those moments off to the next day to accomplish the things that are truly necessary for my health and my sanity.  “Oh, no time for a walk or a jog,” or, “I can do yoga next week,” or the dreaded, “I’m too tired to make a good, healthy meal… looks like shredded wheat for dinner yet again.”  Today was the first day in a while that I actually set aside time in the morning to visit a dear friend and practice yoga together.  It was a strange release; the poses made my body feel achy and foreign to me… muscles and bones that had become used to the rhythm of a yoga practice knew nothing of what to do or how to hold myself.  I was jittery with an energy that apparently had been stuck in “park” for quite some time, and once it was worked out and released, so was my stress level.  I felt my body speaking volumes to me this morning: you can’t keep putting off, well… yourself.  It does matter to eat more balanced foods, to get that brisk morning walk in before work, or spend time with a dear friend that warms your soul.  You can’t keep chugging along trying to get ahead without taking the time to stop and be still everyday.  Obviously, I am completely aware of these things and yet it’s difficult for me to still accomplish them.  I’m hoping with the entrance of autumn, I’ll be more mindful to make part of the day nurturing for me, so that I don’t get to this place that leaves me so lethargic and washed out all the time.

Have you ever had one of these “time out” moments?  If so, are you able to stay committed to the important things in your life?  How do you balance it all?

{image shown from my day trip to the white mountains set, from two weeks ago}