Remember you need a break.

You know that tiny amount of time you get to yourself? That moment may be on your way to work or the few minutes before the kids wake up. It might the few minutes before your alarm officially wakes you up. It might even be on the car ride to go grocery shopping or even grocery shopping is that time.

This break can be as long as you want, but you need to do it for yourself. No one else.

You deserve it.

You work long hours at the job you have nothing but pure happiness and passion for. You are constantly hearing that you need to slow down. You need a break. Believe it or not, those voices whether you hear them from loved ones or the family members you only hear over the phone. You deserve to be happy, yes. You deserve to take a day off.

For most of my schooling career (yes, you heard correctly. School is a career.) I developed the skill of not giving myself breaks in between assignments, classes, jobs, and general social life events like hanging with friends, sports, and dating. I thought breaks were a waste of time when I could just work until I get something done. The age old turn-of-phrase "I'll sleep when I'm dead" really took control over me.

I spent countless hours on assignments thinking of how I needed to beat this negativity of believing I was a failure into the ground. I needed to prove that these voices inside my head were wrong. I was always out to prove myself wrong. I could still succeed if I took a 2 am waffle break at the local diner or 4 am walk around the city. I could still succeed if I left a half hour earlier for classes so I could just simply breathe before going into the classroom.

As my senior year of college emerged, I rid myself from the negativity. I canceled a three-year long friendship with my college roommate. I chose to think that no matter what I knew I was going to pass. I knew that no matter what happens I am proud of myself. I told myself to gather every opportunity and take them with stride. I rethought how I saw myself. I saw myself as someone who deserved to be treated fairly even if the unfairest to myself was me.

After I graduated, I continue this philosophy and gained more professional experience in my passions of both working with children and creative writing. I find time every week for myself because I know the real world is only going to get more busy. I find time to meet up with old friends that I know will let me be myself but also allow me to occasionally stress out about how I could be doing this or that instead. I even make time to treat myself to date night. I either cook a new meal or go out for mandatory Me Dates where I go to a nice restaurant and treat myself.

You need to let yourself have fun. Watch your favorite movie in your favorite outfit. Eat your favorite ice cream. Curl up with a glass of wine and a great book. Recently, I had a day off of work and decided to cook for myself. Nothing fancy, just a meal that I thought of while strolling along the aisles of the grocery store. While cooking I was relaxed. I was calm. I rediscovered a passion for cooking. A passion with the mystery of not knowing exactly what you're making but knowing it will come out edible either way.

I found peace in those quiet moments with none of my roommates home. I found peace knowing between the sizzles of the extra virgin olive oil pops. I found peace chopping the organic red of the pepper and self-teaching myself (with a little help from my friends at The Food Network!) how to sauté. I found peace in the smells wrapping themselves around my apartment. I found peace with my eyes lightly closed as the chicken marinated in the fridge to the moments frying in the pan.

All the while, I will continue to remind myself to take one day at a time because after you only live once. I will find this peace in these moments because I deserve to have them reserved for one. Me.