Self-Care for the Work-aholic…

Today I did something a little unexpected for me. I packed up from work at 4 p.m. and drove home. Instead of staying at work until 8 p.m. I called out sick from my internship and granted myself the evening off.

If you know me at all, you know that this is nothing like me. I am, in fact, a self-proclaimed work-aholic for about the past two years. It’s not my fault, and it’s really not what I’d like to be, but with working full-time, completing internships for graduate school, and taking classes a couple of times a week–there’s no way to avoid working 95% of the time. Today, however, I decided to try something different. Saying I wasn’t feeling well wasn’t exactly a lie. It was partly true because I haven’t been feeling quite like myself this week and have also been very tired.

So far I’ve spent the evening lounging, eating some take-out, and watching T.V. After clicking publish I will probaby move on to the next step in my relaxation plan–taking a bubble bath. I talk every so often about what I do for my job, and although I really genuinely enjoy my work, it can also be quite exhausting. Working in the mental health field can be draining–both mentally and emotionally. This is why self-care is so important. All too often I neglect this important aspect of well-being. I skip meals and eat junk food. I wake up early instead of allowing myself that extra half hour of sleep, and I work late instead allowing myself a break. I don’t always take care of myself, but I’m going to work at this a little bit harder. I have 3 months left of graduate school, but self-care doesn’t have to wait. I’m going to start making more of a consious effort to practice self-care. This will all start this weekend as I catch up on my sleep, let some energy out at the gym, bake something delicious, cuddle with my dog, and enjoy some Super Bowl snacks.

Let’s face it–it’s us work-aholics that need good self-care the most!

Tagged as: grad school, health, relaxation, self-care, super bowl, work