For many people, being “too busy” is part of life and it is easy to slide into the urgency-addiction trap. Making time for yourself is important as it can halt the spiral of imbalance that has consequences for the quality of your life, including your family, your relationships, your career and your health.
Taking time for you is not selfish. It will restore your soul, uplift your mood, increase your health and make you more productive and upbeat. You will be able to achieve more, feel less stress and be better company for others.
Me Time is not so much about getting more done, as about doing more of the things which are important to you. How would you rate your satisfaction with the Me Time and therefore the balance in your life right now, on a scale of 1-10?
If you have a rating below 8/10, then try this simple exercise. List 10 things that would give you a rating of 10/10 if you could have them in your life on a consistent basis. Examples may include having 15 minutes a day to read a book, exercising a couple of times a week, making time for a neglected hobby, meeting a friend for coffee every second week or having a night out with your partner on a regular basis.
Once you have your list, check that each activity is there because it’s important to you, not to someone else, and schedule time for each. You may feel silly at first but you need to make space in your calendar for Me Time activities – what gets scheduled gets done. This is not a to-do list. It is a framework upon which you are building balance and scheduling time for what’s important to you. Commit to it. Ask for help if you need it. Communicate what you are doing and why to those people it affects.
Introducing small yet cherished activities into your life will have a dramatic effect on the quality of both your life and your relationships. You will feel better, healthier, happier and more in control. Me Time is not a luxury but a necessity, so go on, you owe it to yourself and those around you!
