Time Away

Suzanne (with an excited look on her face) in front of Suzanne Street in South Carolina

A few months ago, after Mom moved in, I coordinated with my incredible Aunt so James and I could have a weekend away for the first time in 6 years!

I was conscious of the concept that I should put my oxygen mask on first before helping others. I felt like it was good to have a getaway on the horizon and I requested that the focus of the weekend be that I didn’t have to take care of anything.

On Thursday night we flew down to Charleston and flew home on Monday midday. We had 3 full days in Charleston/Kiawah- no dog, cat, hamster, child, or Mom. Yes, we missed them. Yes, I was happy to come home to them.

The ability to spend 3 days focused on us as individuals and as a couple, and time together with very little on the schedule was amazing (so were the grits!). I feel so much calmer and my sort of ever-present mild anxiety has faded. We don’t know when we will get to do this again, but we definitely want to prioritize it and are so grateful we got to have this trip!

I didn’t realize the speed at which I move and the concern/anxiety I manage daily until I got a break.

It was so worth it! If you are a caretaker out there, find a way to seek help to take a few days off or away.

The good news is that everything went great while we were gone so my behavior of asking for help has been reinforced. I, again, didn’t bring any work devices. I came back to work on Tuesday, no fire drills occurred so my behavior of not bringing my devices has also been reinforced. I just finished reading Big Potential by Shawn Achor, research says that “taking time away from your problems may actually help you reap one of the greatest competitive advantages that exist today.” Shawn goes on to say “people who take ALL of their vacation time have a 6.5% higher chance of getting a promotion or a raise then people who leave 11 or more days of paid time off on the table.” I appreciate it when research and experiences also reinforce my behavior that I started in order to improve my well being (and leads to delicious food!).

How can you prioritize yourself in the coming months?