Why Taking Time For Yourself Is Okay

Life is hard. Life isn't all sweetness and light. Life can be the biggest bitch out there. But life is also the greatest gift any of us can be given and it's completely what you make of it. That may mean that sometimes it's hectic, filled with dinners, lunches and nights out whilst other times it's just you in your pjs with the cat, watching a rerun of your favourite show. And whilst the former is filled with amazing memories and mementos, sometimes the latter is exactly what your mind, body and soul needs.

I for one am a big believer of taking time out for yourself. It can come in any shape and form but as long as you come out of it feeling grounded and ready to take on whatever life has to throw at you, it's served it's exact purpose. Holding together a job, social life, love life, social media presence as well as the million other commitments life throws at you can be stressful, can push you to breaking point at it's worst but are not worth comprimising both your physical and mental health for. Cancelling that dinner date, that cinema trip or taking a break from social media isn't going to make your life crumble down around you feet. Don't concern yourself with what others will think of you for taking time out for yourself, take the time to do what you love, the things that make you feel more you, that put you back together and help you bounce back from what ever stress or low that's been bogging you down.

There have been many a time when I've disappeared off social media for a few days, not replied to texts for a few days and just taken time to recenter myself and sort my shit out. My friends understand why it happens as they do it as well so they never get angry or judgemental about it, they just accept that's what I've needed to do and that if there is still anything I need to talk about, I'll do it in my own time. And that's one of the main things I want you to take from this. It's okay to take a time out, to spend time caring for yourself both physically and mentally whether the people around you understand or not. If they judge you, get angry when you cancel plans or stop including in plans afterwards, I think it's safe to say you need to reevaluate the people in your life. If your family and friends truly love you, they'll understand the pressure of life; especially in this day and age, and that it can take it's toll.

What I'm trying to say is that it's okay to take a break. To cut off from all the pressures of life for a while to regroup, ground and pull yourself together. Not replying to a text isn't going to be the end of the world and neither is not retweeting that viral meme that's doing the rounds on twitter. Taking time out to bake, read, sleep or binge your favourite show or film isn't a waste of time that could be spent doing other things, especially if it help you to forget about all the stress you've got going on. Time for yourself is vital if you want to life a happy life. Trust me, you may feel guilty about doing it but after a while that guilt will disappear and you'll be able to see the good it's doing for you as well as being able to recognise when you need to take that break and focus on yourself for a while.