Guilty Pleasure
My self-care “guilty pleasure” is Sunday naps.
I’ve never been a great nap-taker. Seriously. A short nap does not make me feel like I can conquer the world. Typically, I wake up feeling worse than before I went to sleep!
Curious why that might be, I started really paying attention to my sleep schedule. And discovered that I really didn’t have one. Not being a night owl, I really don’t stay up that late. Because I am more of a morning person, I really don’t sleep in. . .
Because good Sleep Hygiene impacts the quality of our sleep, I started being intentional about my sleep schedule. I set a reminder 1 hour before “bedtime” so that I could wind down. I am still trying to figure out a good bedtime routine to let my brain know it’s time to switch off. It isn’t perfect, but progress over perfection! I set a gentle (-ish) alarm to help me wake up at the same time every day – even on the weekends.
Surprisingly, those small adjustments helped me become more rested & able to identify days when I needed a bit extra.
But that didn’t mean I actually took the time or opportunity for a short nap when needed.
The moms out there know there is ALWAYS something really important that should be done.
Besides, I had a good sleep/wake routine and was getting more than 6 hours of sleep each night – I didn’t require a nap. . .
And then I realized: I was feeling GUILTY for taking the time to pamper myself without multitasking something else! (Anyone else listen to audiobooks while folding laundry or put on a sheet mask to wash dishes or write a blog post? )
Being the person I am, I needed to know WHY.
Time for reflection
After spending a small amount of time researching & reflecting, I discovered the source of my guilt: It is impossible to nap and do something else simultaneously! Plus, it is something I wanted to do by myself, on my own terms.
As crazy as it sounds, that felt like such a waste!
Now I am working on recognizing when I might need a little bit more rest and giving myself the permission to indulge in a Sunday Nap without the added guilt.
Remember: Progress over perfection!
There’ve been no naps the past two weeks (I didn’t feel they were needed and I treated myself in other ways).
More importantly, if I need one I can take a nap without it ruining the rest of my day!
I think it is time to reframe what self-care looks like and give ourselves the permission to do it!
How are you going to pamper yourself this week?
#TCB #selfcare #guiltypleasure #progressoverperfection #beintentional #favoritethings #allthingsmatter #lifestylenutrition #emergencefunctionalnutrition
