Every so often I get the urge to be alone, usually after a period of intense mental or social activity. Work has been that the past few weeks, so much so that I couldn’t focus even though my workload was better this week. My social life was also filled with drama several weeks back, which added to the mental drain.

It’s time like these that I usually seek a retreat from my online social circles. When all I want to do is curl up with a loved one and a book. Or sometimes, just the book.

Find a quiet place to just sit and read, to rediscover the magic of imagination. Refill my patience and Zen tanks. They’ve been running low for the past year, and at this point, I do fear I might either explode or jump off a cliff.

So if I don’t seem very sociable, or lazier than usual to attend meetups or just plain rude or disengaged, you know why. I need time to care for myself before I can care for others.

The greatest love is self-love. It’s time I practice what I preach.