Celebrating NAPS – Three cheers for “taking to the bed”

Why does napping get such a bad rap?  I remember hearing after I had my daughter to “nap when the baby naps” – and I always did.  I had friends who said “Forget that – it’s the only time I have to get things done!”  I hear you but how does that leave you to live the rest of your day?  Tired, exhausted and for me – extremely grumpy!  As my daughter got older, I do remember feeling like I often had to “hide” the fact that I was napping from my husband.  If I was in bed napping and heard the garage door opening I would burst out of bed and “get busy”, sauntering down the steps with a spirited “Oh, hi honey…just finished 30 loads of laundry, scrubbed the bathroom floor and cleaned the oven…Tired, No not me!” 

Why is it so embarassing these days to admit we are TIRED??? My family has a rule that you are NEVER supposed to tell someone they look tired…why is that?  Tired has become the new badge of honor.  

Well, I for one am here to challenge that and would like all women near and far to unite in favor of naps.  I am proud today to take care of myself.  I am a card carrying napper!  Naps are a big part of my self-care plan.  I LOVE to NAP!  As an early riser, I often do my best work in the morning hours and find that I lose energy in the afternoon after eating my lunch.   I have found that if I can allow myself (and that’s the hardest part) to “take to my bed” for an afternoon power nap, I feel rejuvinated and able to work for two more good hours before picking my daugther up from school. 

My girlfriends and I now celebrate each other when one of us declares “I am taking to the bed today”.  It has become our catch phrase for a deep level of self-care.  As women, it is often difficult for us to make time for ourselves.  One of the big reasons I started my Empowered Women work was because I saw in myself and in so many of my close friends a void in self-care.  Actually at the time, I had never even heard the term “self-care”. 

 Today, it is my number one mission – to get busy women everywhere to recognize the importance of extreme self -care.  So, do youreself a favor today and “take to the bed”.  I promise you will  be glad you did!