Self Day

Hooray for Self Day!


What is Self Day, you may ask?  I hadn't heard of such a thing until late October of this year. 


I was killing time at good old Barnes & Noble, and thought I'd actually buy something instead of just reading stuff and enjoying their warm building for free (that's called a library which is supported by tax dollars and therefore a different deal entirely).  I ended up with the latest issue of Self magazine...because it's a health/fitness magazine, and more importantly, it had Julianne Hough on the cover.  I am a musical theatre geek at heart, and Footloose is my all-time favorite musical since I saw it at Village Theatre ten years ago.  Plus the only TV show I ever watched on TV was Dancing With the Stars.  Since I hardly know one celeb from another, for me it was more like Dancing With the Pros...Julianne being one of them.

So there I was, reading my duly purchased magazine, and heard that November 1st had been declared, "Self Day."  The concept here is that most women have a million things on their to-do list and the last item is taking care of themselves.  So on Tuesday, November 1st, the magazine encouraged women to do something for themselves, or, if possible, take the entire day off and get recharged.

There are two ways to react to this idea.  The first is to say, "How selfish to prioritize yourself over everything else and take a whole day for you!!!"  I agree that if you put ME ME Me first, you are taking Jesus out of His rightful place and setting yourself up for disaster.


HOWEVER, many women take Jesus out of His place in a subtler and possibly more dangerous way...they think they have to BE Jesus in all their relationships and duties.  They never take a break or make their health and sanity a priority, because they believe that if they stop for a minute, the world will fall apart.


Basically, if you care about serving others (especially the brave folks in your family who put up with you on a daily basis), you will do a better job if you are not exhausted, unhealthy, and losing your mind.


I thought a Self Day sounded great, and since I had some vacation time saved up at work, I decided to take the whole day off.


I started by trying my very first Crossfit class at 6 am (everyone recharges differently, right?) - I'd wanted to try Mercer Island Crossfit for a few months, and was excited to finally get the opportunity.  I had a great time (review coming soon), and worked really hard. 

It was heavy on the running that day, which suited me just fine, having done our half marathon only a few weeks prior.  The rest of the workout included kettlebell swings and situps, so it was nice to have my first day consist of movements I was so familiar with. 

After that, I got to chat with some folks at the gym before heading back home to deal with some organization and maintenance around the apartment...some things just don't get done in the everyday, and I find it easier to relax if I get caught up.  I also made progress in choreography for the musical theatre class I co-teach.  It's amazing how much easier it is to be creative when you aren't stressed out and running around!

I also got to revel in some of my recent birthday gifts...people apparently know me well.

lululemon jacket from Bekah

Hilarious card from the hubby

Pink racquetball gear from Mom and Dad

Then I headed out for a gorgeous hiking date with my "baby sister" Kelsey, a dear friend from high school.

We talked and prayed and laughed and enjoyed the beautiful fall colors.  She brought me a loaf of Amish Friendship bread...which thankfully I did not wolf down in one sitting.

Kelsey also took me to one of her favorite "thinking spots" for more chatting and a breathtaking view.  I brought gold fish for a very grown-up snack.

The rest of the day included dinner with the hubby and a racquetball date with my dad. 

Kale, quinoa, parsnips, etc.

I may not win, but at least I have cool socks!

I had such a great time on November 6th that I decided to make it a habit as often as possible...and took yesterday as my second self day.  It's addicting, I tell ya!

What would you do if you could have a day to do with as you pleased?  Try Crossfit?  Go shopping?  Take a nap?  Scrapbook?  Paint?  Do tell!