Do you ever give yourself a Doona Day?
Occasionally we need to schedule ourselves a day of rest. A PJ day with nothing but slippers, tea and back-to-back chick flicks. A mental health day which we Aussies affectionately refer to as a Doona Day.
I do it so rarely that I have forgotten how to actually turn off my brain. Which of course can lead to stress, fatigue and complete and utter burnout.
It's occurred to me that I may be on the verge of burnout for some time. But with so much going on in life, who has time for a break down?
Anyway, on this Wellness Wednesday I am making a commitment to myself: that I will have a complete day of forced bed rest. Not because I'm sick but because I want to avoid getting sick.
When will this day be? Well ideally it will be when I have the house to myself. Ideally it will be a day I can turn off the phone and unplug the computer. Ideally it will be a day when nothing is due and nobody needs me.
Which is probably around the same time I see a pig fly past my window and a sparkly fresh batch of unicorn poo in my hallway.
So how does one effectively schedule a mental health day without the house falling apart, your work load suffering and (most importantly) without feeling guilty?
When it comes to that guilt thing, remember that mental health is just as important as physical health. If you were blinded by a migraine, curled in a ball due to stomach cramps, coughing up phlegm or sitting on the toilet with a bucket on your lap you'd take the day off right?
As for scheduling it, check the diary. Find a day in advance that has the least amount of impact on others. A day when projects can be paused, communication can be cut off, kids are at school, the husband is at work and where there are no external appointments. Then block it out! If your kid was rushed to hospital due to a medical emergency you'd manage to block out your day wouldn't you? You'd drop everything to spend the day by their side. It's time we started thinking about our Doona Days in the same no-holds-barred manner.
In reality an entire day from dawn to lights out for a mother is near impossible. Even if you did have that bucket on your lap you'd probably be taking it with you while you drive the kids to school. But having a Doona part-day is equally rewarding.
So my priority for this week is to find myself a Doona Day. Even if it is only a part day scheduled within school hours. Will it be today? Tomorrow? Friday? Who knows. But rest assured, there will be a day that the school run is being done in my slippers.
Do you schedule yourself a Doona Day?
What does a mental health day look like for you?
Seen any sparkling unicorn poo lately?
For more information on burnout see Natalie's post "12 Major Signs of Burnout" over at Be Kind 3 You
Occasionally we need to schedule ourselves a day of rest. A PJ day with nothing but slippers, tea and back-to-back chick flicks. A mental health day which we Aussies affectionately refer to as a Doona Day.
I do it so rarely that I have forgotten how to actually turn off my brain. Which of course can lead to stress, fatigue and complete and utter burnout.
It's occurred to me that I may be on the verge of burnout for some time. But with so much going on in life, who has time for a break down?
Anyway, on this Wellness Wednesday I am making a commitment to myself: that I will have a complete day of forced bed rest. Not because I'm sick but because I want to avoid getting sick.
When will this day be? Well ideally it will be when I have the house to myself. Ideally it will be a day I can turn off the phone and unplug the computer. Ideally it will be a day when nothing is due and nobody needs me.
Which is probably around the same time I see a pig fly past my window and a sparkly fresh batch of unicorn poo in my hallway.
So how does one effectively schedule a mental health day without the house falling apart, your work load suffering and (most importantly) without feeling guilty?
When it comes to that guilt thing, remember that mental health is just as important as physical health. If you were blinded by a migraine, curled in a ball due to stomach cramps, coughing up phlegm or sitting on the toilet with a bucket on your lap you'd take the day off right?
As for scheduling it, check the diary. Find a day in advance that has the least amount of impact on others. A day when projects can be paused, communication can be cut off, kids are at school, the husband is at work and where there are no external appointments. Then block it out! If your kid was rushed to hospital due to a medical emergency you'd manage to block out your day wouldn't you? You'd drop everything to spend the day by their side. It's time we started thinking about our Doona Days in the same no-holds-barred manner.
In reality an entire day from dawn to lights out for a mother is near impossible. Even if you did have that bucket on your lap you'd probably be taking it with you while you drive the kids to school. But having a Doona part-day is equally rewarding.
So my priority for this week is to find myself a Doona Day. Even if it is only a part day scheduled within school hours. Will it be today? Tomorrow? Friday? Who knows. But rest assured, there will be a day that the school run is being done in my slippers.
Do you schedule yourself a Doona Day?
What does a mental health day look like for you?
Seen any sparkling unicorn poo lately?
For more information on burnout see Natalie's post "12 Major Signs of Burnout" over at Be Kind 3 You
Day 2792 - Wellness Wednesday - Doona Day
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Oleh
Unknown
