Being Present While Having Time To Yourself

What does it mean to be present? The more time I have with the boys (i.e. - distance learning, vacation), the cloudier this becomes. Sometimes I create this expectation for myself that I will be “fully present” which translates to being attentive morning to night. And that’s just not the reality, nor is it necessary. 

First of all, I NEED TIME TO MYSELF, especially as a single parent. Without anyone to share the workload and “give me a break” I have to make sure I am taking care of myself along the way. I made this realization last year when we were in Sedona - I found myself just being a grumpers. So now when we travel, I will tell the kids “I need time to myself”, and they respect it (usually they are on devices so they have no problem, but sometimes they have to entertain themselves however possible). I get to workout, meditate, read, text friends, go on social media, basically WHATEVER I WANT! Emergencies are the only allowed interruptions for the specified time period. 

THIS IS SELF-CARE. 

THIS IS A HEALTHY PRACTICE. 

I am practicing and modeling healthy behavior. We all benefit from it. 

How do you do self-care on vacation?