I love my son more than life itself- I utter that line and I know it’s true. I hear others say it and I know it is true for them as well. Then, in the same breath we will say “But damn I need a break!” How can both of these lines me true? It’s simple- We need some good old fashioned “me time.” There is not a damn thing wrong with this either.
Whether you are naturally and introvert, extrovert or somewhere in between it is natural to need a little bit of time everyday, and a good chunk of time every month, to recharge your personal batteries. There are important psychological reasons for taking this time as well. According to a Psychology Today article posted on June 9, 2015:
A Chicago psychotherapist Cherilynn Veland, MSW, author of Stop Giving It Away: How to Stop Self-Sacrificing and Start Claiming Your Space, Power and Happiness. Here’s what she told me about why women need me-time and how they can squeeze it into a jam-packed schedule.
When it comes to staying healthy, people talk a lot about diet, exercise and sleep. But should me-time be part of the conversation as well?
Cherilynn Veland: Absolutely. Emotional well-being is closely tied to physical well-being. If we aren’t taking time to rest, relax, reenergize and restore, bad things will happen eventually. Chronic stress increases the risk for a wide range of psychological and physical health conditions, including anxiety, depression, heart disease, digestive disorders and sleep problems.
You can read the article in it’s entirety here if you wish. Though that article is based towards women, the same applies towards men. We all need me time. Men currently find it easier to attain than women.
The excuses as to why you can’t take the time for yourself will always be there. Believe me, I know. I am a single mother. I always have been, since I chose to have my son alone. Yet, the breakdown will find you and I if we do not take the time for ourselves.
So how do we find the time for ourselves if there is so much to do in our lives that it is spilling out the edges and we must get all of this done NOW? Take 5 minutes here and sit in the bathroom, eat your lunch away from people and read. Paint a picture at night… The options are endless…
***Pulled from Mind Body Green***
Now that you have an idea of how to get a few minutes to yourself, and hopefully why it’s so important; let’s talk about how to use it.
It is not enough to just have the time. The trick is to use the time to let go, for at least a brief span of time, of others. To focus on yourself. Think of meditation. This time is a form of that. If you can meditate during your me time even better, but it is not necessary. it’s just important to let go and think solely of you and giving you a break. What is the best way for you to accomplish that for yourself? Here’s some ideas to kick start your brain….
***Pulled from Mind Body Green***
If you begin to feel yourself burning out, getting more headaches/body aches/frustrated/etc than normal ask yourself when was the last time you took time for yourself. So many of us forget self care. If you find it’s been too long, start there.
As always, if you find yourselves needing someone to talk to I am here! Don’t hesitate just because you don’t know me, that’s just because we haven’t talked yet 🙂
Until next time folks!!!
BB
