I despise moving. It’s a nightmare. And unfortunately, during the past 5 years we’ve moved twice - and are in the process of moving once more. I’ve been dreading this weekend for months: “How will we get everything packed?” “How will I get my work done while moving and setting up our new house?” “How will our daughter adjust?”

But then it came and with it, the greatest luxury I’ve had in years - some “me” time. My parents were kind enough to take our daughter to their house for the weekend, while we packed and moved, so here we were, my husband and I, alone in New York for the first time in three years, since our daughter was born. After running out for brunch - brunch that could last longer than the 30 minutes that it usually takes our daughter to get annoyed at sitting down! - we came home and started the dreaded sorting, throwing out, packing process. We decided to each tackle a room and for the next few hours I was on my own, just me, tons of books, frames, pillows, linens, beach toys, arts and crafts supplies, and who knows what else from our this-is-our-only-big-storage-space closet.

Packing was anything but fun, but I realized after a while that I was actually… relaxing!  It was a surprising feeling because (a) I’d never expected to be relaxing while packing and (b) I’d almost forgotten what relaxing felt like. But then I realized why I felt so good: For the first time in a very, very long time I was just by myself, without running anywhere or chasing anyone or talking to anyone. Do I wish I was sitting a nice French cafe, drinking an amazing latte, eating a this-is-terrible-for-me croissant and reading a book? Yes. But having some “me” time while sitting on the extremely dusty floor of our disheveled apartment and sorting through old stuff was a pretty good second option.

I know this is no breakthrough discovery, but I think what we busy working moms really miss in our lives is some time to just be. There is so much to do, so much to take care of, and we end up running through our days as if they were a race. No wonder all the Mother’s Day surveys suggested that what moms really want as their gifts is to be able to relax.

How do you find “me” time in your busy life? What is your favorite activity when you do find some time just for your?

I’d love to hear from some of you, so please share.