FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- Wednesday is the busiest day for those of us who work at the Leader. It is production day - the day we actually send the newspaper to our publisher, and the last day to make sure everything is just how we want it to be printed.
On Wednesday, husbands know not to call (although they sometimes still do), going to lunch is out of the question and colleagues know that it's best to save any conversations not related to the paper until Thursday.
Ordinarily, once the paper is finished, we can relax. But last week, we kept up our frenzied pace all day. As the news editor made the finishing touches on last week's issue, I'd already started working on this week's to make up for the day of work we'd miss for Labor Day. As usual, we had a meeting with the command information officer to go over the paper, and 20 minutes or so later, we were finished and were ready to get back to work.
I grabbed the doorknob and turned. And nothing happened.
My boss was unsuccessful in trying to open the door as well. We were officially trapped. For about 15 or 20 minutes, we could do nothing but wait as our officemates yielded tools to try to get us out. We tried taking off the door knob, kicking down the door and nothing worked. When we finally got out, everything was business as usual. But as I checked e-mails and read articles, I realized something. During the entire time we were trapped, we didn't once mention work. And I realized that time was something I'd been getting less and less of lately, as I got to work earlier, left later and skipped lunches.
Too often, we put our obligations ahead of our own well-being. Whether it is our children, our jobs, our spouses or even our volunteer work, it is sometimes hard to carve out some spare time for something other than our obligations.
I don't mean those things you do with your spouse or your children. I mean those things that you do just for you. Don't look at it as being selfish. Look at it as holding on to your sanity. During the workday, take a short break from work and walk outside. When you get home, take a bubble bath, read a book, knit a scarf, compose a song. Do whatever it is that makes you happy and allows you to have a moment of solitude enjoying something that is just for you.
The day I got trapped in the office, I went to the bookstore as soon as I left work. I took my time, looking at various books before making my selection. I chose something that would not help me at work, something that would not help me "grow." But it was something that would allow me to put my obligations to the side and, for a few minutes at least, travel to a place I could not ordinarily go. The few minutes I spent reading after work not only allowed me to unwind, it gave me a chance to de-stress, making me a less cranky mom and wife.
Is it easy to find time to myself' Of course not. Sometimes, I put the baby on the floor and read while he plays alongside me. And it takes me forever to read a book these days because every few minutes, I stop to cook, wash dishes or put on a load of laundry. Even so, those moments I get to indulge myself are priceless.
So all you women out there - from stay-at-home moms, to working moms, to those who take care of their husbands and pets - take time today to do something just for you.
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