This group is primarily women, and, typically, we have from a very young age been taught to care for others first. While not a BAD trait in itself, often we are NOT taught how to care for ourselves or even recognize or honor our own needs. We stuff feelings of impatience, longing, and hurt down, and it too often bubbles back up in the form of resentfulness.

Just hazarding a guess here, but who has been doing the emotional labor of your household these past few weeks? (Years… decades…) The chores in the home, such as cooking, cleaning, and yard maintenance may be shared equally, but who keeps the mental lists of what need to be cleaned, the running grocery list, the logins to all the school apps, or the list of family/friend birthdays and anniversaries? Whose app are all the prescriptions logged into to refill? Who is deciding what to do for teacher appreciation week or planning the Mother’s Day gifts for the grandparents? Usually, these tasks live in the minds of the women. And they require mental energy, focus, and gumption. It’s an unseen weight we carry every day.

So. Today. BEFORE you finish your mental checklist of things to do today (which is never complete), take an hour or an afternoon to restore yourself. Paint your toenails. Pick a bouquet of peonies for the kitchen counter. Make a pan of brownies just as an excuse to lick the batter bowl. Sit in the sun and read your book. Remind yourself that YOU are just as worthy of your time and mental effort as everyone else in your list is.

You are fabulous, smart, beautiful, strong, capable and YOU ARE DOING THIS. Take a step back to appreciate that every now and again.