When it comes to most things in life, I do not find much difficulty in making a plan and sticking with it. Whether it be for meal prepping, weekly scheduling, or anything of that nature, I tend to put my needs at the forefront and make tangible plans that I know will set me up for success. Yet, when it comes to family and friends, I have a very difficult time putting my own needs at the forefront. That is not to say that your own needs should always come before those you care about, but when you begin to push yourself aside for the sake of other things, it becomes very difficult to regulate your time and emotions. When my life begins to feel off-balance, I find myself having to put in great amounts of added effort to get it back on track.

When it comes to the ones that I care about most, I have a very difficult time saying no to them. If people present plans that don't ideally fit into my schedule, I will likely rework my entire schedule so that I never feel like I am disappointing them. There are times where I am not always in the mood to go out or to even leave my apartment. In the midst of the craziness that is 2020, I have found myself with very little downtime to spare. When I am able to find it, I will usually do my best to work in plans, even if I am completely exhausted.

Though it is a challenging concept to wrap my mind around, I am coming to the realization that taking time for yourself does not mean you will be any less loved by the people in your life.

The right group of friends and your family will always be there to support you, even if you need to take some time to work on yourself. In the same sense, in order for these relationships to be maintained, it is just as important on your part to communicate effectively with the people you care about. There is no shame in explaining that you need to take some time to work on your physical, mental, and emotional health.

I am learning that I would rather spend a few days at home relaxing than constantly forcing myself to stay on the go, as I usually end up becoming drained and unmotivated. The more frequently this happens, the more difficult I find it to work on achieving my long term goals, and I am not engaging in my relationships to my fullest potential. Yet, with the proper amount of trust and communication between friends and family, some time alone should not do your relationships any harm.

Even if you cannot be as present in a person's life as you want to be at the moment, they will not love you any less. Those that you care about care for you as well, and they want to see you succeed. It is important that we take time to take care of our own health because if we cannot be the best version of ourselves for ourselves, we cannot be the best for the ones we care about most.