I took a nap instead :)

This blog post originally went out to my newsletter subscribers in June. I got a record number of replies to that email, prompting me to make it an official post here!

How's your day been so far? I hope it's going well.

Me?

Well, I had "Finalize blog post " on my calendar today (practically the only thing scheduled), but it didn't happen.

You may have seen that my family spent the last week in California, visiting friends and taking a trip to Disneyland  and California Adventure.

It was an amazing time together, but after getting home yesterday, I just wasn't ready to jump back into the swing of things today.

In fact, I felt pretty crappy, even after my morning walk.

​Instead of forcing myself to be productive (which, let's face it, rarely ends well), I laid down on the couch.

When I noticed I was going down the path of restless Instagram-scrolling, I turned on some relaxing music. I made myself turn off my phone.

Then I took a nap. A long one.

When the voice in my head whispered, "Just stay on Instagram," I told it, "No...media binging is one of my warning signs, and I'm going to feel so much better if I stop now."

When the voice in my head said, "But you were supposed to write a blog post this morning," I told it, "I know. But there's no way I can write it in this state. I need to rest first."

When the voice in my head scolded, "If you had just gone to bed earlier, you wouldn't need this," I told it, "True - but this is life right now. There's no use feeling guilty today."

I felt ten times better when I woke up.

Friend, whether you're pregnant like me, adjusting to home life after a trip, or just living life as usual - I hope you'll give yourself permission to rest when you need it. 

And don't forget to tell your inner critic, "Thanks, but no thanks," when you find it telling you otherwise.

Your body, mind and spirit will thank you!

To taking naps and breaks when we need them,