When Was The Last Time You Took an Hour Where Nobody Needed Anything From You?

When was the last time you had a whole hour where nobody needed anything from you?

I mean a proper hour. Not an hour where you are trying to squeeze in the washing, answer a few messages and mentally plan everything you need to do tomorrow. An hour where you don't have to be Mum, partner, business owner, employee, taxi driver, organiser, cleaner or the person who seems to know where absolutely everything in the house is.

Just you.

For so many of us, that kind of time is surprisingly difficult to find. There always seems to be something that needs doing or someone who needs us. Even when we finally sit down, our minds are often still running through everything that hasn't been done yet.

I know I'm guilty of it too.

Running my own business alongside everyday life means there is always something I could be doing. There are treatments to prepare for, messages to answer, things to clean, stock to order and a never ending list of jobs that somehow manages to grow rather than shrink and then there is normal life on top of that.

It is very easy to get into the habit of putting yourself at the bottom of the list because there always seems to be something more important. I think sometimes we forget that we are important too.

What does self care actually look like?

I think we have made self care sound much more complicated than it really is.

It doesn't have to be a luxurious weekend away or spending an entire afternoon doing absolutely nothing. Sometimes it is simply having a little bit of time where you don't have to be responsible for anyone or anything.

It might be sitting down with a cup of tea while it's actually still hot, going for a walk on your own, reading a few pages of a book or simply sitting somewhere quietly without immediately reaching for your phone. Sometimes it can be booking yourself an appointment and letting somebody else take care of you for a change.

This is one of the things I love about my beauty room

When someone walks through the door at Radiant Rose Beauty Room, yes, they are coming for a beauty treatment. They might be having their nails done, enjoying a facial, having a massage or treating themselves to some well deserved TLC, but there is often something else happening too.

They have stepped away from everyday life for a little while.

Some clients come in and we chat throughout their whole appointment. There are laughs, life updates and plenty of stories that begin with, “You will not believe what happened…”

Other clients arrive looking exhausted, get comfortable and spend most of their appointment with their eyes closed. Honestly, both are absolutely fine.

You don't have to arrive ready to chat. You don't have to entertain me. You don't even have to have a particularly good day. You can simply come in, get comfortable and let somebody else take care of things for a little while.

I think that's one of the lovely things about having a private beauty room. It's not just about the finished nails, glowing skin or feeling relaxed after a massage. It's about having that little pocket of time that belongs completely to you.

You don't have to wait until you are exhausted

Perhaps the biggest reminder I want to give you is that you don't have to wait until you are completely frazzled before you take some time for yourself.

You don't have to earn it, justify it or wait for a special occasion.

You can simply decide that you deserve a little time too because the washing will still be there. The emails will still be waiting. The to do list will somehow still be there tomorrow, no matter how much you manage to tick off today but that hour you have given yourself?

That is yours.

Tather than thinking of self care as something we do when we have finally got time, we should start thinking of it as something that deserves a little space in our normal routine.

So I'll ask you again...

When was the last time you had an hour where nobody needed anything from you?

If you are struggling to remember, perhaps that is your little reminder that it is time to put yourself back on the list.

You deserve the same care you so freely give to everyone else.