Permission Granted

Last weekend I was scheduled to meet a friend for a walk. We try to see each other at least every other week to stay in touch and catch up. Sometimes we will meet for happy hour, other times we will walk around her neighborhood or mine. I love mixing friendship time with outdoor time, especially living in Michigan. We have to take advantage of nice days when we have them. However, she texted to say she wasn’t feeling like herself and wanted to reschedule. When we talked over the phone later that day, she couldn’t pinpoint what was bothering her, she was just in a funk. Things were good for her personally, at home and professionally. Yet as we reflected over the last several months, she had been going non-stop. She is in a new job and is loving it. She’s been highly motivated and enjoying time at her desk working. She has instituted some personal professional goals, and she is blowing them out of the water. I’ve been very proud of her, and she has been on cloud nine. So imagine how surprised she was to be blue. Life was good, why wasn’t she happy? I posed that maybe she was just tired. That seemed to resonate. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, she had burned herself out. That didn’t mean she didn’t still love her work, she just needed a break.

Sometimes, I think it’s hard for us to reconcile that. That even though we love something, we sometimes need a break from that thing. Maybe, like in this case, it is work for you too. As an educator, even though you love the school where you work, and/or the students in your classroom, it is ok to need a break from them. Or perhaps you need a moment away from your partner or children or extended family. It doesn’t mean you love them any less, it just means you are human. We all get tired. It’s ok to admit that. In fact, it’s necessary to admit it. We are allowed to take breaks, (even in addition to the summer and winter ones that are built into the school year).

I’m learning that for myself. In this life where everyone is busy and things are moving fast all the time; with deadlines and expectations it can be hard to allow yourself that space. Will we let others down? Who is counting on us? What will fall apart if we aren’t around? It is difficult to remember that it is ok to step away or pace yourself. It can feel selfish or lazy to take time to unplug, regroup or catch up with yourself. But it is essential if we are going to continue to be the best version of ourselves. I’ve come to realize that I am no good for anyone around me if I am exhausted, worn out, and “prickly.” So just like I have done for myself, and I recently did for my friend, I am granting you permission to rest. Look for those opportunities. They exist, you just have to find them. Perhaps you feel like you can only take 5 minutes before you start to get anxious about everything that is waiting for you. That’s ok, take those 5 minutes. Start somewhere. Make the most of them. Begin to build that muscle. Keep practicing, taking time for just you. Then 5 minutes becomes ten and you continue to feel better. The more you do it the easier it becomes. Lose those blues and take time for you. You have permission.