Taking care of yourself

Have you seen the show, Parks & Rec? To be honest, my first impression of the show wasn’t great but Josh enjoyed it so I gave it a chance and it is actually really funny.

If you have seen the show you more than likely are aware of the characters Tom and Donna. These two individuals have a day set aside every year that they call, “Treat Yo Self.”

I’ve seen the episode several times and today it got me thinking.

The first thing that came to mind was, WE SHOULD DO THIS! Of course on a less expensive and lavish level, but we should set aside a day to really take care of ourselves. The people I know generally spend more time focusing on the needs of others than taking care of themselves. This practice is of course selfless, but can lead to harming yourself in the long run. It’s important to have a balance between caring for your own needs and those of the ones you love.

By setting aside a day each year to do just that, I think it would be a great way to recharge and get into a great head-space to continue caring for your loved ones.

The next thought I had was, WHY SHOULD IT ONLY BE ONCE A YEAR? It is so important to meet your own needs that by limiting yourself to a single day out of 365 just isn’t enough. I think that making time for yourself on a regular basis should become a routine.

Now, in the show their day is focused on buying things they want, taking salon visits, and other lavish things, which are awesome. But treating yourself could be as simple as taking 30 minutes to read a book you’ve been putting off, or grabbing that ice cream cone you’ve been craving but refusing to cave in on. The simple and loved things in life are great and make life more enjoyable. Every once in a while I think it’s important to allow yourself to do something you would enjoy.