This is a permission slip for anyone who just needs a break.
Maybe you don’t even realize you need one.
But I’m handing it to you anyway… because I think you do.
I know I do.
When You Realize You’re Not Okay
The other day I was working from my couch and suddenly noticed something I don’t love admitting:
I was stressed. Like… anxious stressed.
(And “anxious” is not a word I usually associate with myself.)
Normally, I feel pretty calm and aligned. Focused, even.
But not that day.
So I stopped working and just sat there for a minute, taking it all in.
What’s wrong with me?
What am I stressed about?
Why do I feel off?
I didn’t have a perfect answer. I just knew I didn’t feel like myself.
I wasn’t sick. I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t depressed.
I just felt… revved up. Like my nervous system was doing the heavy lifting.
And honestly—how could it not? With everything going on these days… it’s a lot.
The Question That Exposed It
So I asked myself a simple question:
When was the last time I took a day off?
That’s when I knew I had a problem… because I couldn’t answer quickly.
I run my own company. I work from home. I “make my own hours.”
And yet somehow my home life and work life blend into this one continuous loop where the end of the day is mostly… theoretical.
And most of the time, I just push through.
The work has to get done. Laundry doesn’t do itself. Someone has to figure out dinner.
But there it was again—that feeling.
Not a Vacation — A Real Break
I need a break.
Don’t you?
Not a vacation. Not a family dinner. Not “self-care” squeezed in between errands.
I mean a real break.
Even if it’s small.
Even if no one else notices.
When was the last time you took two or three hours that were just for you?
A nap. A massage. A long walk with your phone on Do Not Disturb. Sitting in a coffee shop with no agenda. Reading for fun. Staring out a window like a moody movie character. (Underrated.)
The Resistance in Our Head
At first, my brain fought the idea.
“I don’t have time.”
“It’s expensive.”
“It’s not practical.”
But the idea wouldn’t go away.
So I tried a smaller thought:
What if I just took one hour for myself? Would that be so dramatic?
Then my imagination got involved (as it does), and suddenly I was browsing spas and meditation places…
And then—because I’m me—I escalated quickly into a fantasy of a night in a luxury hotel.
High thread count sheets.
A great glass of wine at the bar downstairs.
Silence.
Ooooh. That is my jam.
Now back to reality: an overnight isn’t in the cards right now.
Two Hours of “Me Time” Can Feel Magical
But a few hours?
Very doable.
Nails + massage.
Or a quiet afternoon to myself.
Or a nap that isn’t rushed or guilty.
So here’s my question for you:
What would two or three hours of “me time” do for you?
I genuinely think it could feel a little magical.
Pick one: nap • massage • solo coffee • long walk • bookstore wander • phone-off hour
Why Do We Wait Until We’re Fried?
And it makes me wonder…
Why don’t we do this more often?
Why do we wait until we’re fried before we admit we need a break?
Why do we act like we’re the only person qualified to hold all the spinning plates?
This is why we need the permission slip.
Your Official Permission Slip
Permission to put yourself first—even if it’s just for two hours.
Even if your family never knows.
Even if you go upstairs and take a nap and call it sacred.
It’s okay to leave work early.
Or skip Pilates.
Or not do laundry.
Or order dinner.
Or do the bare minimum for one day.
If you’ve been feeling off… if you’ve been pushing… if your patience is thinner than usual…
It’s time.
So here it is:
You have permission to take a break.
And let’s make a deal…
I’ll take my “me time” if you take yours.
Who’s in?
You Can Emerge Positive.
Positively,
Deanne
Ps. Reply and tell me what your 2-hour break would be — I want to cheer you on.
