My Own Care Package

In the past few weeks, I've been surprised and thrilled to receive care packages in the mail. Alex sent me a cookie bouquet for making law review (right), my mom sent a bag full of extra dark chocolate as a belated Easter basket/study sweets, and then Alex sent me another box of goodies with trail mix, smarties, bubblebath stuff, etc. as a finals survival kit.

Taking the lead of my loved ones, I realized now is when the time I also really need to take care of myself. I'm usually good during the year, but I know that for others and myself, finals is a time when it's easy to let ourselves "slip." Staying up late, eating food that isn't good for ourserlves but we might justify as convenient, drinking too much caffeine, not cleaning because we say we'll do it after. It's all very easy to justify in our heads.

If my allergy induced sickness has taught me anything, it's that now's not the time to make excuses and let myself go. I thought sitting around and resting would help me feel better, but it didn't and I felt guilty for not working. So I vacuumed and dusted my apartment in an attempt to reduce the sneezing. Wow, even in a "clean" apartment, it's disgusting to realize how much filth accumulates. Then I made a really good and healthy dinner, drank copious amounts of lemon/ginger tea (left, I highly recommend), and got a good 10 hours of sleep on my newly washed silky sheets.

At first I was hesitant to take time out to clean and make a gourmet meal for myself, but I've gotten a great return. I feel much better today and feel like I've even increased my productivity. That makes me feel even better, becuase we know how much I love to be productive.