When was the last time you gave time to yourself?
Time to yourself
“I don’t have time for that.”
“There just aren’t enough hours in the day.”
“It would be selfish to spend some time on me.”
“I’m way too busy…”
All of the above are things that people tend to say when someone suggests they take a break or some time to themselves. We all know that it can be challenging to carve out time alone to do what we love, but it’s important to realize that doing so is far from selfish; it’s a necessity for staying healthy, happy, and balanced! If you don’t believe that, just take a moment to read through these five benefits of taking “Me Time” on a regular basis. Whether you’ve got five minutes or five hours, they all still apply!
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It will allow you to recharge.
It’s important to ‘recharge your batteries’ because the stressors present in your daily life-especially at this time of year- can drain you of your positivity, your energy, and even your essence. If you’re constantly doing things for others or because they’re “traditional”, you might wake up one day when you’re no longer as busy and have no knowledge of who you are and where you want to go.
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It will help you strengthen your capabilities of self-regulation!
A study conducted in 2006 by Eli Finkel of Northwestern University and some of his colleagues implied that excessive social and stressful situations can have a negative impact on your self-control! That applies to your self-control in all areas of life, by the way- be it your ability to resist downing that whole quart of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream, or your ability to solve problems effectively.
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It can teach you how to avoid getting dragged down by anxiety.
If you don’t like spending time alone because it allows negative thoughts to creep into your mind, then you’re doing yourself a disservice. Pushing your painful emotions away or bottling them up actually prolongs their presence in your life! Learning to live with whatever may come your way, without overreacting to it, is an important life skill that spending time to yourself (so that your thoughts have room to flow freely) can teach you.
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It’s good for your health!
Spa treatments and mild exercise are two pretty popular ways to spend “Me Time”. Spa treatments save your health by reducing stress, and if you take some time out to go on a walk, take a swim, or play a sport, the extra endorphins those activities release will make your time alone even more enjoyable.
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It prevents burnout, which can help you stay successful in ALL areas of life!
How can you cash in on the beautiful benefits of alone time? It’s easy! No one expects you to wake up an hour early just to paint your nails or take a bubble bath, but do what you can to cut back on time wasters-like excessive e-mail checking, procrastination, inefficient work patterns, etc. and use the time you save to pamper yourself a little bit!
