“Leave the chaos of your daily life behind during your “me” time.kudumomo/Creative Commons
With your commitments to your family, friends, and job — along with all you have to do to keep up your home and the rest of your life — it’s a wonder that you find any “me” time at all. It’s easy to plan on having some time for yourself, but it’s just as easy to allow the world around you to encroach on that time. Following these five tips will not only make sure you get your “me” time, but that you come out of it feeling totally refreshed, whether you’ve got ten minutes or two hours.
Contents
- Plan Ahead
- Turn off Your Technology
- Do Something that Will Make You Feel Good
- Double Up on Your “Me” Time Activities
- Don’t Think About What You’ll Be Doing Next
Plan Ahead
The last way you want to spend your “me” time is figuring out what you’re going to do with it. So make a plan: Schedule appointments for spa treatments, meeting a friend, or yoga classes beforehand so there’s no time wasted. If your “me” time is hard to predict, keep a list of the things you’d like to do the next time you have time to yourself, and do the first one on the list that fits into your time frame for that day.
Turn off Your Technology
Unless your “me” time includes reading a book or magazine on your tablet, disconnect from technology, especially your smart phone. If possible, turn your phone off completely so that you don’t hear any calls, emails, or texts — it’s too tempting to answer, and you don’t want to spend your only alone time talking to the doctor’s office about re-scheduling your child’s next appointment or listening to a friend’s problem at work.
Do Something that Will Make You Feel Good
“Me” time isn’t so much about getting things done, but about doing something that makes you feel good. That can be something as simple as taking a nap or going for a walk. It can also be something more luxurious, like getting a massage or taking a long bath, but no matter what, it should be something that makes you happy.
Double Up on Your “Me” Time Activities
To really maximize your “me” time, plan activities that allow you to do more than one thing you enjoy at the same time. Get a pedicure or a haircut and catch up on your favorite magazines that have been piling up. Take a walk into town to do some shopping. Take a nap at the beach. There are infinite ways that you can work more than one activity into your “me” time.
Don’t Think About What You’ll Be Doing Next
This is probably the hardest of all the tips, but do everything you can to be present in the moment during your “me” time. Don’t worry about what’s for dinner or who is driving carpool tomorrow. Simply relax and take in the experience that you are having at that very moment. It is not about anybody else but you for that brief time — and you deserve it.
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