Today I worked hard. My dirty laundry and dishes were everywhere. So, I spent most of the day cleaning them. I also have lots to work on for school this week, so between switching on the laundry, I stayed as focused as I could on reading for school until I was done. It was a productive day, but by the end of it all I was worn out and bored. I needed a break. I am probably not the only one who has days like that.

As busy as our days may get, we need to find the time to take a break and relax. That may sound impossible at times, but we must. It is necessary to our health, mentally, emotionally and physically. I know personally if I don’t give myself a break, I will soon burn out, I lose all my creative juices, all my energy, and all of my motivation. To maintain my sanity, I have to rest and de-stress. Maybe some people can handle stress well and work continually for days on end, but I can’t.

It’s okay to not be able to do everything. I had to learn my limits, to know what I need to function properly and give myself that. Sometimes that means admitting I can't do it, admitting that I need help. Yes, I would like to clean the whole house, cook food, and get all my school done, but I just don’t have the time or energy to do everything. Today, I had to ask my husband for help to clean the dishes and carry the laundry over. That’s not always easy for me to do because I would like to be able to do it all. But I needed that help. My husband is amazing and always willing to help me when I ask. So yes, ask for help, and it will lift some of that weight off your shoulders. You can’t do it all, and that’s okay.

It can be humbling admitting that we need help or that we need a break. For some people that can be very hard. It takes practice, but when you do, you will find that you can go further and do more, because you listened to yourself, and gave yourself the breaks that you needed. When you don’t overload yourself and you learn to let go and de-stress, you find that you can do more than you ever thought you could. Your creative juices can flow more clearly because your mind and body are fresh. As a writer, this is very important for me. If I am too stressed, I begin to get overwhelmed, I can’t focus, can’t function, and my creativity stops. Today I began to feel that, it was a long day and I was ready for a break. I told my husband and we went out to eat so we didn’t have to worry about making food. Then we went to the beach.

When I arrived the sun was already below the horizon, but the water still held its warmth and the sky was still reflecting its colors. There were a few people here and there, but I hardly noticed. It was me, my husband, and the ocean. As I stepped into the clear water, I began to relax. The water calmed me. I found myself noticing how smooth the water felt as I moved my arms through it. I watched as Pelicans flew overhead making their way home for the night. A great blue heron waded near the edge of the water occasionally squawking at people walking past. Fish jumped and swam past in small schools. In all of this, I forgot about all the things I had to do and just enjoyed the moment.

We need things like this to re-center us, whether it be a walk in the park, a cup of tea, a warm bath, whatever helps relax you, do it. Go to your happy place and get refreshed, you need it, and it’s totally okay. Your body and mind will thank you for it.