Day #211: Important Me Time

The only person you will forever be stuck with for the entirety of your life will be you. So you are important. Therefore it is well worth your while to get to know yourself both inside and out. With this in mind, spending some quality me-time should and will mean you’d be unwinding, doing some deep thinking and rediscovering yourself. It sounds good, doesn’t it? But what if you find it difficult to find the space for yourself? Here are some tips to give you more time to recharge and thrive.

Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself. – Octavia E. Butler

Wake Up Earlier

Waking up early can be the key to more than just happiness, it can be the start of something even greater. And getting up earlier and embedding this into your routine can have amazing benefits. It allows for more time, for more activities, for better schedules and even healthier bodies. This does not mean being a night owl is worse off. It just means that if you utilize our morning strategically and with a well-rounded routine, you will be jumping out of bed and kick-starting your day at a whole new level. The best part is, you are kick-starting the day with ‘me time’, which you can’t get much more exciting than that.

A Date With Netflix

Sometime’s it can be good to just switch off your life and pause whats been going on and just have a date night in with yourself and Netflix (or the TV). Just you and the remote control, no-one else commenting on the plot or asking you to rewind a joke three times. Look, you may even end up falling asleep, but the point is, you are in control, you can relax and just wind down.

Tech Detox

Turning off the gadgets and gizmos for a period of time will enable a distraction free zone – but it also enables you to focus on other things at hand. Who knows what you might do, learn or experience in a world without technology for a small period of time or even a day. We rely on them so much, that without them I won’t be surprised if you will be a new and different person. 

Distraction Free Working

Similar to the tech detox, eliminating all your distractions so you can focus will do you wonders. ‘Me time’ regardless if it is for business or pleasure, distractions can always decrease your ability to focus and get the results you are looking for. So eliminate these, then focus on your ‘me time’ by doing whatever it is you are doing and just see how productive you are. Noise canceling headphones will help do the trick too.

Short Walks In Breaks

In a busy world, finding some ‘me time’ can be proven to be quite the challenge. But why not challenge yourself. When you have a chance to take a 10-minute walk, take it. This would be on your breaks at work or school. Take the time to just go for a stroll, stretch your legs and clear your mind. If you have more time, then go for a walk taking a different route each time. It’s like a mini adventure.

Airplane Mode For A Single Hour

Like the tech detox, go into airplane mode. Turn your phone off or messages/calls off and sit back for an hour in peace. This includes emails and other notifications. If you’re not on call as a doctor or firefighter or similar, these notifications and incoming messages can wait. Whether you are doing this while you are trying to focus on a task or simply just to have some real ‘me time’. Regardless, this will always make whatever it is more focused and productive.

Hobby Time

If you don’t have one – find one! Using your ‘me time’ wisely is so important as this can be limited due to being distracted doing life. Find a hobby that you can invest in, that gives you an experience. A good book, a musical instrument, video games, a sport or even some gardening. There are thousands more too. This time should be about focusing on your passions and dreams.

Read A Book Or Two

Like your hobby time – using your ‘me time’ as reading a book will benefit you in so many ways. Books are full of information, opinions, ideas, and stories. Basically, they give your mind a chance to stretch and grow. They will make you think, dream and explore the what if’s of life. Reading can be slow and not that exciting when starting out, but once you have broken into a routine, this ‘me time’ will become a favorite I think.

Exercise

Don’t think of it as a punishment or a chore. Exercise is meant to be something you want to embrace and enjoy. Why? Well, it is a step to healthy living, an important factor to anyone’s life. You can do exercise in so many ways, you can find a way that makes you feel comfortable and excited, or you can find something that will challenge you and really intensify the experience. Regardless, embracing this time to grow your mind sets and stretch your body limits will benefit you.  

Alone Time / Me Time is meant to do the below:

• Reboot our brains
• Help us unwind
• Improve concentration
• Make us productive
• Self discovery
• Deep thinking
• Problem solving 
• Relationship enhancement

If you want any of these, I challenge you to try out one of the above tips, or maybe you have your own you can try. Regardless, I challenge you to do at least one of these things a day. You will be thanking me for it later.

Photo Credit: Instagram: @_clfurlong_ | Location: Melbourne, Australia