This is the first summer I haven’t worked. As a teacher, we’re technically only paid for ten months, and the other two? Well, most of us hustle — summer school, tutoring, side gigs — just to make it work. But this summer, I didn’t. Not by choice, really, but by necessity. Life forced me to sit still.
And let me tell you, stillness isn’t easy when you’re used to sprinting through life.
The Struggle
With no paycheck coming in, we’ve been dipping into our savings. Every dollar gets counted. Every outing gets questioned. And instead of being out and about, I’ve found myself home — with myself.
And being with yourself? It sounds peaceful… but it’s hard. It’s loud in your own mind when you’re not distracted by work or routines. I’ve had to really see myself — the tired parts, the anxious parts, the parts I push down and push through just to keep going.
Life is About Growing
I’ve filled my days with reading, long walks, workouts, deep cleaning, folding tiny socks, picking up Legos, and wiping sticky counters. But I’ve also started listening — really listening — to my body. I’ve had to measure my energy and be honest with myself about when I need to rest. And that’s been the hardest part. Because for so long, rest has felt like weakness. Like failure.
But here’s the truth: I’ve realized I don’t know how to care for myself the way I care for everyone else. I ignore my needs. Today, I didn’t eat until 3 PM, even though my stomach was growling at 1. Why? Why do I keep putting myself last on my own list?
I’m learning — slowly, clumsily — that I can’t pour from an empty cup. That self-abandonment isn’t noble. It’s dangerous.
Enjoy the Simple Things
So now, I’m doing something radical. Every single day, I try to do at least three things that bring me joy, peace, or comfort — things that cost nothing, but mean everything. No guilt. No apologies. Just me.
Here’s my list of the free things I’m learning to turn to when I need to feel whole again:
Saying no without explaining myself
Calling my mom just to hear her voice
Sitting in silence with a hot cup of tea
Taking a slow walk without my phone
Writing in a journal
Reading a chapter of a book outside
Hugging my kids for longer than usual
Praying or meditating — even for 5 minutes
Dancing in the middle of the living room
Watching the sunset with no agenda
The Invitation
If you’re reading this and you’re in a season that feels dry, lonely, or like you’re just barely making it — I see you. I am you. You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re tired, and that makes sense. Life is heavy sometimes, and no one teaches us how to rest, especially not as women. Especially not as mothers. Especially not when so much of our identity is tied to what we do for everyone else.
But you deserve slowness. You deserve peace. You deserve your own care.
So here’s your reminder: You don’t need to earn rest. You don’t need to explain why you’re not okay. And you don’t need money to access joy.
You just need to come back home — to you.
