Give Yourself Permission….

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With just about a month left in the semester, most of us are feeling exhausted and ready for a break. And, it’s very likely that very few (if any) of us are performing at our best. So, what can do to help relieve some of the stress that comes from wanting to do our best when we simply don’t have the energy level or focus that we need? 

I was talking to one of my nieces a few weeks ago, and she shared an amazing idea from her Citizen 410 class at Longwood University this semester. Each week the professor has everyone write down something that they will each give themselves permission to do for the week. These can be shared with the class, but they are usually just personal reminders to take a break and realize that every week in a pandemic can be a challenge. Some of the ones my niece has used are things like: “I give myself permission to not be so hard on myself”, “to have a self-care night”, “or to take a break from school for the rest of the day”. The idea is that we are all human and dealing with the same struggles right now. And, it’s ok to not be perfect or to struggle.
 
So, this week I challenge you to take a moment and write yourself a permission slip for the day or the week. Think about what you need for your own self-care and to get through the week. And, give yourself permission to do that.
 
 
-Dr. M
 

Resources:

 

“A Permisson Slip to be Human: Grad Student Aims to Help Students and Schools” – Penn State News

https://news.psu.edu/story/631352/2020/09/10/health-and-medicine/permission-slip-be-human-grad-student-aims-help-students

 

“It’s Time to Write Your Own Permission Slip” – Evi D. Consulting Blog

https://www.evidconsulting.com/blog/2018/3/8/its-time-to-write-your-own-permission-slip

 

“Your Permission Slip for Self-Care” – Colorado Dental Association

https://cdaonline.org/news/latest-news/your-permission-slip-for-self-care/


*Image taken from Penn State News, https://news.psu.edu/story/631352/2020/09/10/health-and-medicine/permission-slip-be-human-grad-student-aims-help-students 

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