![Take time to treat yourself](https://cdn.magzter.com/1387480582/1715329613/articles/dowuiihVH1715344295480/TAKE-TIME-TO-TREAT-YOURSELF.jpg)
While clearing out my office recently, I stumbled on an old copy of this magazine. About seven years ago, I wrote my first feature for Psychologies, on the value of taking a duvet day from life. Life was something of a whirlwind - my children were three, ten and 12 years old, and I was juggling the demands of full-time parenthood with building a writing career. Suddenly overwhelmed by chaos, I felt compelled to go AWOL from my life for a day.
It was an impulsive coping mechanism - the domestic equivalent of reaching for the emergency pull cord - but it later evolved into a regular self-care routine. I wrote: 'Elbow-deep in dirty dishes and battered by the noise of squabbling siblings, I wanted to walk out and leave everything that clamoured for my attention to someone else. So I did. But, what began as a desperate, one-off measure has since evolved into a ritual; I take a regular day off from life and that keeps me sane.'
I even explained my formula for a life duvet day; I treated myself to a spa day every few months, paid in advance so I couldn't wriggle out of it when other commitments inevitably competed for my time.
But reading this took me by surprise. For all the confidence with which I espoused the virtues of a duvet day, I couldn't remember the last time I had taken an afternoon off for anything except a medical appointment. And as for a pamper day, I hadn't set foot in a spa hotel since before Covid.
And, yet, life now is more hectic than evermy children are ten, 17 and 19, and instead of the flexibility of freelancing, I am deputy editor of a parenting site, and increasingly needed to support my mum following the sudden death of my dad. If ever I needed a duvet day, it's now.
Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Psychologies UK.
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Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Psychologies UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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Hello, lovers! September is here, and the lazy holiday season is behind us. And for many-me included - now feels like the perfect opportunity for a personal kick up the backside, and to embark on a relationship reset. In my work, it's typically women who take the first steps accessing couples' help, but recently (and encouragingly) I've noticed an uptick in men reaching out to get relationship advice and wanting to put the work in.
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