Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Taking Some Time For Myself - Guilt Free!

 


I have a large list of things to be completed around our house.  This year I did not manage to get nearly the projects checked off the list I originally had planned, however I do tend to think I can get far more accomplished than I really can.  Add in pandemic restraints that affected not only the availability of supplies, but the cost of them as well, and I did have a few obstacles getting in my way.

 


Time is also a factor.  I work full time and it is common for me to work overtime, pretty much on a daily basis.  My job is hard and challenging.  It uses up a lot of my brain power and taps my emotions too.  Nonetheless I enjoy what I do, who I work with, the company I work for and I have a great boss.  For all of that I am incredibly grateful and know that I am in a fortunate position, especially as I've remained gainfully employed throughout everything that has occurred this year.

 


There are a ton of hobbies I am interested in doing and not nearly enough time to work on any of them.  I keep thinking that once I am retired I will finally have the time to do the things I want to do, but in the meantime I put a lot of pressure on myself to work on the "To Do" list and be as productive as possible when I am home.  I have to quit doing that.

 


While taking care of my home and being a responsible and productive person is very important to me so is taking care of myself.  Part of taking care of myself is to allow for some downtime.  Time spent doing whatever I want to do that brings me pleasure and allows me to rest and rejuvenate.  When the girls bought me a die cutting machine for my birthday I realized that I didn't want to wait three more years to take the time to use it, nor did they want me to.

 


Initially I felt guilty when I spent an entire afternoon learning to use it and making some greeting cards.  Then I felt guilty spending the money for craft supplies, more dies and a bunch of paper.  Then I felt guilty when I spent more time crafting.  I began to rationalize what I was doing by thinking I could make cards and sell them to offset the time and money I was spending.  Then I realized I was being ridiculous and told myself to knock it off.

 


Now I actually have scheduled time that I get to craft and do whatever I want.  Guilt free.  No agenda.  And both of my girls are encouraging me and thrilled that I am doing this.  It makes them happy to see me happy.  The other benefit to this time is that I am still getting things done around the house, albeit at a much slower pace, and it is helping me cope better with the challenges that come up at work.  Whenever I start to feel anxious or stressed I remember that I have craft time just ahead and I am able to push through.  I actually think it is helping me to do my job better too.

 


So what on earth am I going to do with all this stuff I am creating?  Well, I think the girls and I are definitely going to set up a little shop of some sort, either on Etsy, eBay or Facebook and sell these things, because honestly I really don't need over 100 greeting cards.  Yes, I have really made that many cards this month.  Pretty crazy, huh?  But, oh so much fun.  And I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about it either!

 

6 comments:

  1. I struggle with this balance as well, and mostly working out & reading are my outlets. I have to consistently remind myself that it's okay to take time not focused on "productive" activities & that I need the balance.

    Glad you are making time for yourself a priority.

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  2. This is so timely! I know I mentioned in a previous comment that I needed to make time to do this. This past weekend my girls helped me set up a designated space in our office/library/guestroom. It will be a while before I get it organized the way I need it to work but everything is there and set up. I started a new simple quilt project - a fall throw and can go in and sew as I want/need to. I think designating a time is a great idea. I would love to hear more about how you designate your time for this. I don't micromanage my time but I am a list person. I love to check stuff off of lists.

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    1. Yay Candace! I am so happy to hear you did this. You will love it. I love, love, love my craft space in our guestroom. It is still a work in progress, but that is part of the fun of it too. :)

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  3. I think you are right to take time for yourself. You never seem to go to bars for hours, so your time spent on the cards is something you like and is not harmful.

    What type of industry do you work in?

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    Replies
    1. If anything, quite the opposite. And I can sip wine while I'm crafting. ;)

      I'm in the medical field.

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