The Importance of Me Time
Why it’s important to set aside time to do things that make you happy and relaxed.
Are you doing stuff for your soul? Are you making time to do the things you really want to do? I definitely wasn’t this time last year and I really don’t know why. What I’m talking about is ‘Me Time’. The time you set aside to do things that make you happy and relaxed. If you are already doing this, then great! You know what I’m talking about, and you know the fantastic benefits it has on our overall well-being. Within the last year, I have learnt the importance of being a little selfish and setting aside some time every day to just do something for myself. This could be as simple as watching an episode of my favourite TV show, listening to some music, getting creative or learning a new skill. We all need a little time by ourselves every day away from the business of our lives to just check in and make sure our soul is happy!
Up until last year, I was a full-time student, who had study as their number one priority. I went straight to university from high school so I didn’t know any different. I was never an efficient worker. I always left my assignments till the last minute to complete. I worked well under pressure, knowing it had to be completed by a certain time, and when I had so much time to study, I procrastinated like there was no tomorrow! Now, with all of this being said, I always felt guilty for doing fun things and doing things for myself other than studying, because I knew I had work to do. I was very disorganised, had terrible time management and not enough structure in my days to make sure I did the work that needed to be done. I needed to structure my days, having time blocks to do work and play, rather than having days after days just set to study. We all know that just means days of procrastination, because who really study’s for a whole day? (Apart from the day before something’s due hehe!) I didn’t do much other than study and work. And when I did other things, I was always thinking and worrying about all the work I had to do, so I didn’t really enjoy my ‘Me Time’. Being away from work and study now, my whole life is ‘Me Time’ haha, but I really struggled during the first few months after I stopped studying and working. I didn’t know who I was without those things. I didn’t have any hobbies, or things I would do regularly that I really enjoyed and looking back now, I can see how much that had an influence on my mental health. I just wasn’t happy at times, and putting my studies first and having that mindset that I should always be studying, I didn’t allow myself to have fun and I wasn’t putting myself first. Fast forward to today and I have found some really fun things to do in my alone time, that allows me to be content in my own company.
Set some time away from work/study to just be with yourself
I’ve really started to enjoy my alone time and have really embraced becoming my own best friend! Being an introvert, I find that I energize myself by being alone. It’s almost like my alone time is a way to recharge before going out into the world. Some people feel energized being around other people, but I find it sometimes drains my energy. I used to feel a little depressed when I spent too much time just with myself, and that was probably because I didn’t love myself and really didn’t know how to enjoy spending time alone, just me, myself and I. I definitely learnt a lot about myself and my relationship with myself last year when I was struggling with my mental health. I spent a lot of time alone with all of my thoughts and realised just how disconnected I was with my inner being. It was tough, but I slowly started to get to know myself and love the person I am. When you start to love yourself, you start to enjoy the time you spend alone! Spend some time alone, away from work or study, every day. Be consciously present with yourself and don’t put any pressure on yourself to do anything in particular. Do whatever you want in that moment but make sure it’s something you enjoy doing and enjoy it!
Explore and do things that make your soul happy!
Within the past year, I have discovered so many things that I really enjoy doing, and I’ve learnt that I need to prioritise my health and happiness over everything else. As I said before, I didn’t have any hobbies or activities outside of work and university. I definitely had fun sometimes, like going out with friends, eating out of course and relaxing around at home, but I didn’t have much ‘Me Time’. I didn’t spend time with myself, for myself and didn’t prioritise it at all. While I was working on self-development over the last year, I explored many things that really made my soul sing! I started reading books — all of them were about self-development of course and I got really interested in learning more about how to really connect with yourself and some spiritual stuff too! I discovered calligraphy, bought some special pens and got a bit creative which was fun! I got into yoga and meditation, which I did every day for a few months. I don’t practice that often now, but I set aside some time every now and then as it makes me feel really good. Listening to some motivating and funny podcasts is also something I did and it definitely puts you in a good mood! Explore your passions and try new things!
Here are some other great ‘Me Time’ things you can do!
Exercise ~ but make it fun, like walk your dog or with a friend, go to a Pilates or yoga class, or just dance to ya fave music (while home alone hehe).
Meditate ~ I mentioned this earlier, but it really helped me feel comfortable with just being with myself and my thoughts. I definitely recommend checking out Mindspo! They have a free 5 minute guided meditation to get you started if you are new to it.
Get creative ~ draw, sketch, write, cook, take photos!
Have a relaxing bath and pamper yourself!
Snuggle up and watch a movie or TV series. (with some chocolate!)
Go shopping or window shopping by yourself! Go at you own pace and go to the shops YOU want to go to!
Unplug from social media!
Go out into nature and enjoy the sunshine! Watching the sunset at the beach is one of my favourites!
Try something new that you’ve always wanted to do! Go sign up for that dance class or yoga class you have been meaning to check out! Learn to surf! (this is something I really want to do) Master a new skill, like learning to play an instrument and just have fun with it!
I know we can get busy, but we all have time in our day that we can set aside, just to do something for ourselves! We can make time, whether that means getting up half an hour earlier to meditate and do a workout, or scheduling a specific time to do something for yourself. Promise yourself that you will watch the sunset once a week, if not more. Spend your days off just doing whatever you want, without feeling guilty and enjoy it! I really hope this motivates you to prioritise your ‘Me Time’ and to try out some new fun things that you’ve always wanted to do! You owe it to yourself to spend some quality time with yourself to make your soul smile!
With Love,
Millie xx