There was a time when getting my hair done felt like another job on the to do list. Book the appoint

There was a time when getting my hair done felt like another job on the to do list. Book the appointment. Find the time. Sit there wondering how much work I should be getting done while the foils were processing. Then somewhere along the way, I decided to stop treating it like an errand and start treating it like permission to pause. These days, my hair appointments look a little different. The foils go in, I open my Kindle and for the next couple of hours, nobody needs me to solve a problem, answer a question or decide what's for dinner. It's one of the few times in the week where my only responsibility is turning the next page. Don't get me wrong, I still walk out appreciating the fresh colour and feeling a little more put together than when I walked in. There's something about leaving the salon with freshly washed hair that makes you feel like you've got your life together, even if you know the laundry basket at home says otherwise. But if I'm honest, the best part isn't the hair. It's the pause. As mums, I think we're really good at justifying time for everyone else. We drive the kids to activities, organise holidays, remember birthdays, meal plan, work, clean and somehow keep all the moving pieces together. Then when it comes to doing something for ourselves, we often feel guilty for enjoying it. I've realised those little pockets of time matter. Whether it's reading a few chapters of a book, sitting in a café with a coffee or getting your hair done, they're not indulgences. They're little reminders that we're people outside of being parents, partners and workers. And the funny thing is, I always come home a better version of myself afterwards. Maybe it's the fresh hair. Maybe it's the uninterrupted reading. Or maybe it's simply what happens when you allow yourself to slow down for a couple of hours. Either way, I'll happily take both.