Are No Commitment Days The Ultimate Act Of Self-Care?
Say no to productivity and yes to me-time.
I talk a lot about self care — from maintaining a consistent morning routine to prioritizing self-love to listening to your gut, the list goes on. Today, I’m taking a new approach on how to #liveyourbestlife.
Enter: no commitment days.
Let me explain. No commitment days are exactly what they sound like — they’re days where you commit to doing absolutely nothing. Cancel your plans, say no to friend hang-outs, and just be.
If you’re like me, you may get overwhelmed with too many weekend plans — regular adulting necessities, meeting up with friends for dinner, bar and movie dates, dog park days — it’s just too much! It stresses me out. As much as I love to catch up with friends and have a pre-scheduled itinerary of weekend activities, sometimes it can feel like the weekend lost it’s true purpose — a time to rewind and reset before a busy work week. I didn’t realize it until now, but I guess I’ve been committing to no commitment days for most of my life (my teenage and adult years, at least). Every weekend, I block out at least one no commitment day to myself. Whether it’s putting off household chores or cancelling plans with a friend, committing to time alone allows me to reconnect with myself. It may sound selfish, because it is, but if anything, it feels more powerful than selfish to me.
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A Step-By-Step Guide To A No Commitment Day:
Choose your day, or at least a few hours of you-time. This can mean whatever you want it to — throw on a face mask, hair mask, maybe watch your favorite show or movie, cuddle with your pet, take a walk, draw a bath, read a book, so on and so forth. Namaste.
Put your phone on do not disturb (optional). If you really want to have alone time, sometimes it’s nice to adjust your phone setting to DND to block out the world and make space for YOU.
Don’t feel guilty! It’s perfectly fine to block out a full day or a few minutes of alone time. “Love yourself. You are your one. You are the one you will have to live with for the rest of your life, so learn to love yourself first.” I was watching an episode of Ned’s Podcast Survival Guide as I passed time while blow drying my hair. It’s the adult podcast version of the Nickelodeon show Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide that I used to watch as a kid. I couldn’t relate to the quote more — self-prioritization is so important.