I recently had the opportunity to spend a week in Iceland. It was a decision I made rather quickly, signing up for a combo “yoga adventure”, and sightseeing tour through this magnificent country. I was a bit hesitant to go, even though everybody that had preceded me there had nothing but glowing reviews. I don’t like to be cold, and I have this crazy fear of slipping on ice (maybe a product of growing up in Chicago, notorious for black ice, hidden ice, patches of ice, snow covered ice….you see where I’m going with this).

The rainbow isn’t photoshopped. #truestory

So, despite some initial hesitations, and my parents fear of me traveling (I’ve traveled around the world, with family, with friends, and on other yoga retreats, but they still think of me as that 12 year old girl in their hearts…sigh, parentals, love them), so despite these things, I packed a lot of layers, made sure my passport was up to date, and left to visit Iceland.

Now you may be wondering if you accidentally stumbled onto a travel blog while looking for the world famous Gyneco-blogic—you didn’t, you are at the right site. The purpose of this post is to remind us, as busy working professionals, mothers, wives, etc etc, that it is of utmost importance to regularly schedule time in your date book for self care and to “recharge the battery.” Often times, I’ll wonder where the weeks have gone and realize that I’m exhausted because I’ve just been hustling non stop.

Warrior 2 on a crater.

This can mean different things for everybody. For some, it’s a long soak in a bathtub with a locked bathroom door to keep the rugrats out. Some of my friends go for a run to blow off steam (they fit into the I don’t get you, running is the worst, but I love you anyway). Recharging the battery can be a 5 minute meditation session every morning, or grabbing the suitcase and detaching from the world for a few days (my preference). Even while on the trip my daily reminder was that it was ok to be selfish, not talk to everyone all the time, listen to my needs and my inner voice. Navigating the balance between taking time for yourself vs the guilt of responsibility can definitely be a challenge, and sometimes the pendulum does swing from one end to the other. The most important thing to keep in mind is to check in with yourself, make yourself a priority, and ultimately, to be kind to yourself.

At the end of the day, Do you Fam. Do you.