This is why you should always take a day off when it's your birthday

It's my birthday. Hooray for me. I'll do it myself for a moment, so you don't have to. What does my birthday look like today? The clock just struck 9:28 AM and I've already been working for about two hours. Goodness, I find it a bit lonely.

Being birthday on a Monday isn't really ideal, but when you also dive head first into your inbox, those balloons and streamers are hard to find. Not that I can complain; I've already been sung to five times today, with my best friend always being the one that sticks out, so lovingly (and loudly) she does it. But suddenly I find it a shame that I have to work on my birthday. I'm looking forward to long lunches with friends, pampering myself at the beauty specialist, and treating myself to something nice or long walks on the beach.

This weekend I was already looking at my to-dos for Monday and being birthday was hanging quite low on the list. How sad is it when you're nose-deep in work from nine to five (or later) on such a cheerful day? Suddenly I knew: I'm taking the day off on my birthday starting next year. To make it a bit more festive, I also immediately gave my boyfriend a day off. We sealed the deal with a glass of wine. He will now take a day off on my birthday and I on his. And of course, we’ll also schedule one for ourselves, otherwise it would be very strange to celebrate your birthday.

From now on, we will only do fun things on our day off. Breakfast out, a little (or big) shopping spree, a beach walk, even more food at lunch, a treatment at the beauty specialist, and a nice dinner out in the evening. How old are you then? I find it all feel very festive.

It's a bit of a shame that I have to wait another year for all these festive activities, but I'm excited about it. So here it is: celebrate yourself and take the day off. It's wonderful that you've added another year and you should take a moment to appreciate that once a year.