Recharging the batteries

I'm in an unusual place today. It's 1 p.m., I'm still in my pjs, and I don't have much of a specific plan for the day. Sure, I have my usual list going on the fridge of the things I need to accomplish before the weekend is out. I also have a list in my head of things I probably SHOULD do. But instead, I made the choice to get 11 hours of sleep (wow!), enjoy my coffee while reading the paper and social media, and just being. I did the same last night. After a day volunteering at an alumni event and preparing for my transition in cars, I just chilled. One of my best gal pals came over and we sat by the pool with drinks and just chatted (and discovered the pool has wifi!). A dear friend of mine pointed out that I seem to have a hard time just "being"...that even in my down time I have "things to do"...the casualty of life as a Type A Virgo, I guess. I've been trying to take this feedback and find ways in my life to just BE more. I've been spending evenings on my balcony when home chatting with my bestie on Skype and just enjoying the cool (for now) night air. The funny thing is, even though I only worked out twice this week, I dropped two pounds, almost a full one last night with the extra rest. The reason I wanted to share all this was a reminder that sometimes, we all need to just listen to our bodies and relax, before they break down and we collapse. Yes, I'll get to the gym today, knock some of the items off that list and maybe even squeeze in something else unexpected (like writing this blog). But I'm doing so feeling a little more relaxed and renewed. So when is your next break? Have you planned a summer vacation yet? Even just a day off to just chill? Other than a road trip this weekend and our class reunion in July, I'm guilty of not having planned my downtime yet. If I'm going to have a productive school year, I must. And you should too. If we don't put on the oxygen mask and take care of ourselves, we are no good to others. We should all put "schedule me time" at the top of our to do lists.