Recharging

After a crazy workload last month, even working on a holiday, I finally waved the white flag and decided to take some time off.  I used to be disciplined about taking a vacation day every so often as a mental health holiday.  But over the past year or so, I've gotten into the habit of taking time off only when I have something planned or will be out of town. 

That changed this past week.

I saw that I didn't have anything planned for this weekend and thought it would be a good time for a mental health vacation.  I left work at lunch on Thursday feeling a little bit like a truck had run over me, but it was just mountain cedar.  After a three-hour nap, I was as a good as new.  Make that Exhibit A of why I needed to take some time off.

I've enjoyed more than just that nap over the past three and a half days.  During that time, the Lord seemed to be writing a prescription for this introvert's heart and mind to rest while simultaneously being recharged and renewed.  Some of the highlights have included:

--the three-hour nap (worth mentioning again)
--no forced bedtimes
--no being awakened by an alarm clock
--leisurely lunch at The Kimbell
--a long hot bath
--a walk at TCU (would have taken a couple more, but oh the mountain cedar!)
--dinner with a friend at a new restaurant and crafts afterwards (making a t-shirt to match my pajama pants)

--finishing three of the four books I'd already started
--sipping Barney & Sons Pomegranate Oolong hot tea or Trader Joe's Organic Hot Chocolate almost every day

Ideally, I would have loved to have spent this time at a scenic cabin or a pretty lakehouse, but the fact that I was at my house meant no packing or travel, which also has its perks.  And, I was able to run some errands and get some chores done during brief spurts when I was able to pull myself away from reading.

But I admit that this wasn't a guilt-free time of relaxation.  There always seems to be this twinge of guilt over taking time off for myself rather than using my time off in a more sacrificial way. 

How do you balance the two?  I'd love some insight.  And I'd enjoy hearing what your perfect prescription for recharging is.