There are 3 topics that we strive to discuss in this forum; ‘me’ time, self care and self reliance. For the next 3 Mondays, I will be providing a brief overview on each of these topics and why I think they are the 3 topics hat we need to focus on.
‘Me’ Time
All of us need a few minutes each day to focus on ourselves. The importance of scheduling ‘me’ time cannot be overstressed. By unplugging from others or your work, you allow your mind to take a break. This allows you to reset. According to Happify Daily, women have 25 hours of leisure time each week while men have 28 hours. Using snippets of time to focus on yourself will improve your relationships, make you more productive and can set a great example for those around you, especially children.
The amount of time is not as important as what you do for that time. I use a 30 minute time period but this is a random number I picked out because I like to exercise or walk for a minimum of 30 minutes each day and this is my main form of ‘me’ time. Walking outdoors is a huge stress reliever for me. This also allows me to take pictures of my favorite animals or views.
You get to pick out what you want to do and for how long. You may be in a season of life where you have a newborn (or two) and there never seems to be time for anything else. You may be caring for an elderly parent or family member and it may seem that you do not have a minute for yourself. You may be the caregiver of an adult child with special needs who needs your undivided attention. You could be single and responsible only for yourself. You may be in charge of a household with a partner and children or young adults under your roof.
Your situation is your situation. I am going to challenge you to change your words from ‘I don’t have time for me’ to ‘How can I find time for me?’ The only person limiting this is YOU!
The first place to find time is to quit reading this post and pick out a different activity! Replacing your screen time on social media is the easiest place to find time. Analyzing your leisure time to identify blocks of time is the next thing. You can use our Activity Journal
to help you keep track of your activities over the course of the week to see where you are duplicating effort.
Remember that our group came up with a list of 30 Things You Can Do During ‘Me’ Time. There are other tools that you can use under our Resources table.
Start small and work your way up to 30 minutes. It may mean that you wake up a few minutes early or stay up a few minutes later but make a promise to yourself to make this a priority. Make an appointment with yourself. By being intentional you will find that this becomes your new normal.
