Well it happened, I’m finally a Mom! My little guy was finally born a little over a week ago on his due date. I instantly fell head over heels for him and couldn’t believe I actually would be allowed to take that little miracle home with me. During the last week I’ve learned a lot about myself including, I am not a light sleeper, Sleep is something to be treasured, some diaper brands are not worth the cheaper price and how one little guy can make your heart grow more than you ever thought it could!
When my husband and I were preparing to welcome little guy into our family we had to decide what type of break I was going to take from working. Because I work so many different little jobs I realized that it was entirely my choice in how busy I would be when the baby arrived. I went back and forth on how much of a complete break I would take but after budgeting, having several husband and wife discussions and praying we finally decided on me taking a longer break of at least two weeks and then only slowly adding work back into my schedule.
Now that little guy is born and I am in the middle of that break I am forever grateful that I decided to take a break to really just focus on this new member of my family. I hadn’t realized how much I had been burning the candle at both ends or how tired and exhausted I was getting. I might have been getting close to 8 solid hours of sleep a night and I might have had a little more time to myself, but I wasn’t getting any sort of break from my jobs and as a result a lot of my ideas were getting stale.
In the last week I’ve realized the importance of sometimes taking a break from everything to focus on something else. Not only is it a time to recharge your batteries, but it is also a time recharge your excitement. It can help you get a different perspective on your work and maybe let you reprioritize what you are doing.
Amazingly there is also a lot of research that also backs up the benefits of taking regular breaks and vacation days. In an article by Health Net they actually talk about how numerous studies have shown that taking regular vacations and breaks can help reduce your risk for heart disease, depression and help increase your productivity. In another article by WebMD they say that “People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals.”
As a working SAHM don’t be afraid to occasionally give yourself a few days with no work at all. Focus on your family, hobbies or home and really just give yourself time to recharge. You might just be surprised with what you learn about yourself and your work or what ideas might appear!
