I have never been on a spa break. I know friends who have however I’ve always been put off by the idea of needing to look good in a bathing suit. I don’t. As it turns out spa breaks are less about being a supermodel and more about self-care. This is an area of my life that I need to concentrate on more.

I have been a freelance copywriter and blogger for over twelve years. The freelance lifestyle works for me, particularly from a family flexibility point of view. There are downsides to self-employment, namely no employer-paid annual leave. Of course, I set out every year to put pennies aside (you don’t work, you don’t get paid) and take “proper” breaks from work, let alone a spa break. I’m not great at following through. I always take a good break at Christmas however last week I looked at my diary and realised that Christmas 2017 was the last proper switched-off break I took.

Summer freelancing is always something of a juggle, however, I usually manage it ok by getting up at 4 am. I’m a natural early riser so this isn’t as terrible as it sounds. I usually work until 9am-ish (deep work) then have the day with the boys, finishing admin, emails and planning later in the day. In theory, this works brilliantly and affords me more downtime than I’m used to. It always has in the past.

My youngest broke his risk in spectacular fashion on the last day of term. This required a hospital sleepover, a surgery and a pin being put in. This has had a significant knock-on effect on our summer for various reasons. If I had prioritised my self-care, my holidays and my dedicated off-work time before now, I doubt this summer would have been so tiring! I have eye strain, backache, had my first vision-altering migraine a few weeks ago followed by ten days of mild but tiring headaches. This isn’t a result of just a difficult summer though, this is down to poor self-maintenance.

The Husband has convinced me that I need to prioritise self-care. I know this. I completed a diploma in mindfulness at the beginning of the year, however, have let things slip. I’m considering a short break at a spa (some of the treatments look and sounds wonderful), we’re going to arrange more date nights/days out, I’m going to switch off the phone and laptop more. I’m already spending more time painting miniatures with the husband. Next summer we are going away on a PROPER break to my favourite Scottish coastal hideaway. I am going to spend time on recharging me for a change. I’m looking forward to it.

Do you forget your own wellbeing when it comes to self-care and taking breaks? How do you recharge? Do you run, book a spa break, fall into a good book or book a night away? I’d love to hear!

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