Before the Next Deadline: Why Taking Care of Yourself Can't Wait

I've been hustling, y'all.

Wake-ups before 5 AM. Squeezing work into every crevice of the day.

And this week, my body told me it was time for a break. So I listened.

Sometimes taking care of yourself looks like a workout and a full night of sleep. And sometimes it looks like a bag of extra buttery popcorn in bed and Devil Wears Prada 2, way past your bedtime, on a Monday night. 🍿 (Both count.)

This Scientist and Mother thing will take everything from us if we let it. We are carrying so much: the grants, the trainees, the teaching, the kids, the household, and the invisible load nobody sees until something drops.

Here's what I've learned: ruthlessly prioritizing ME is how this becomes sustainable. Not after the next deadline. Not once the kids are older. Now.

For me, that means moving my body, protecting my sleep, connecting with “my people”, and listening when my body tells me something. Even when what it says is "popcorn and Miranda Priestly."

Because if I'm not good, my family isn't good. My work gets harder and less impactful. Taking care of myself isn't stepping away from my responsibilities. It's how I keep showing up for all of them.

So, permission granted: what does your body need from you this week?