Are you uncomfortable claiming time for yourself?

Especially during a time of year as packed as the holiday season, it's so easy to backburner self-care until we have enough time.

 "I just need to finish this project first." 

"Once I get my kid fed and homework done, I'm definitely going to take that bath I've been promising myself."

"I was planning on taking this evening for me, but then my partner asked me to help them with/go with them to _________", you fill in the blank. 

During the weekdays when I'm not teaching or performing, I'm in front of the computer at home, doing the day-to-day operations that keep a business running. Too frequently, I find myself saying something like the quotations above and then never getting to self-care. Time just slips by. 

Do you know what I've found DOES work? Scheduling my self-care on my actual calendar, in a different location than my house. It's hard to rest when I'm surrounded by reminders of what I haven't gotten done yet, and claiming that time can feel indulgent and selfish.

You deserve to take time for yourself, because your happiness is important. And when you're happy, those around you can be happier, too, because you can be a more compassionate, caring, and alert partner/spouse/parent/guardian/friend/person in the world. 

The volunteers of Dance Life and I strive to make the studio a welcoming atmosphere, where people can come and have fun, release tension, and find a positive way to relate to our bodies, reveling in all the wonderful things they allow us to do, whatever our ability level. We've built an amazing community of support, friendship, and fun, and we can't wait to share one of our favorite forms of self-care with you! 

I hope you'll stop by soon and share your story with us!