Many people think that they have to put all their effort into parenting, working, school etc.. to the point of burn out. Overworked, burnt out, exhausted and stressed are not the ways you want to be describing your life. So, you need to take time off. You have vacation at work for a reason, and even though in many jobs they do not emphasize how important it is to take it, it is still really important. If you are burning the candle at both ends for school, you also need to take some time off. This doesn’t mean not to hand in your assignments on time, but maybe reprioritze and add some time in for a break. If you are a stay at home Mom, taking care of your kids all day, you also need to lean on a babysitter, a family member or your spouse to relive you. No matter what your situation, we all need a break.

Many times, we are so busy taking care of others, that we forget about the most important person in our lives, ourselves. Yes, being a good Mom, a good boss, a good employee, a good spouse, a good friend and a good student are all important, but you can’t be good at any of those if you are not taking care of yourself. In fact, you will be better at all of those if you are taking care of yourself and taking breaks.

I am a big advocate of taking at least one vacation per year. This can be a trip you save up for and fly to an exotic place, sit on the beach and drink tropical drinks or it can be a road trip to a beautiful camping destination, it can be a week of playing golf and visiting a spa or it can be a staycation. Stay home, sleep in, catch up on shows, lay out in the sun and get some needed vitamin D, take the kids to school and enjoy some undisturbed relaxation.

Maybe you do not have time to take a week off, but only a day here and there or even a few hours, take them. The key is to completely detach from your responsibilities during that time and do something you enjoy. Many of us take time, but still check our email, or worry that we will miss something important. All of this will still be there after you take your much needed break. You want to go back to your responsibilities feeling renewed and refreshed.