I am a huge fan of napping. My weekend naps are almost sacred to me. For this, I get a TON of grief from, well, just about everyone. I suspect a good bit of it stems from a bit of jealousy- many folks just don’t see any way to fit napping into their day. But to me it’s all about priorities. And yes, naps are a priority for me.
My love of naps started when I had a work schedule of 6am to 3pm. I was told that I would adjust to getting up a dark o thirty. I had that schedule for 2 years and I assure you I was just as miserable on day 700 as I was on day 1. So no, I never adjusted. Sure, it was nice to be able to schedule certain appointments in the afternoon and not miss work for them. But most days I would be so exhausted after work I would nap upon getting home. Around this same time I started dating my now husband. He would often nap on weekend afternoons to recharge after a long week. I soon followed suit and discovered they made me feel better too.
Now we’re married and I work a job with normal hours. So, weekday naps are typically off the table (although once in a while I’ll sneak one in after a particularly bad day). But weekend naps are still something my husband and I both take pretty much every weekend.
No, they don’t affect my ability to sleep at night. I might go to bed a little earlier if I miss my nap, but my body is ready for bed about the same time every night no matter when I get up or what happened during the day.
No, they don’t mean I’m a bad wife. My husband takes as many naps as I do. He is also perfectly capable of vacuuming, washing dishes, or anything else that has been suggested could be a better use of my time. I’m not a maid. Which leads me to…….
No, they don’t mean I’m lazy. They are an essential part of my self-care practice. I am on medication, and I’ve been through two stints of therapy, but there are still days I struggle with my mental health. It can be very tiring living in my own head, and If I don’t take care of myself emotional as well as physical symptoms will present themselves. If I ignore those, I could find myself in a downward spiral that’s much, much more difficult for me to crawl out of. I’ve been there, done that enough times to know.
I encourage you to discover the wonder that is the afternoon nap. Sure, there are always other things you could be doing. But you might discover, like I have, that after a nap everything looks just a little better and the rest of the day is just a little easier to get through.