Sitting by the fire in your pajamas at noon reading a book may seem like a luxury, but actually can be essential for your health. You know that feeling when you just aren't engaging in life like you normally do, when even the simplest things seem to be overwhelming, and when you are extra sensitive to people's comments and behavior? That’s when it’s time for some productive unproductiveness.

If there is a time when you feel this way, honor it. Don't try to justify or rationalize it. Allow it to just be and take the steps that work for you to get some rest. You not only deserve it, you need it. You cannot function fully without it. Can you take a day off from work? If not a full day, how about a morning or afternoon? Even just an hour can do wonders. Time for yourself is essential for your health.

What will you do with your free time to recharge yourself? Perhaps it’s taking a walk, reading a good book, snuggling with your pet, getting a massage, or staying in bed an extra hour. It may feel like a luxury (the unproductiveness of it all), but what is more important and productive than making the time for your own health and wellness?

As Scarlett O'Hara says in Gone with the Wind, "Tomorrow is another day". Yes, it is. So when you are feeling tired and overwhelmed by the simplest tasks, let tomorrow be the day for the tasks and today be the day for you.

Can you think of anything more important and productive than making time for your own health and wellness?