We all know that #metime is important, the more stressed and overworked, the less we can fit it in and the more we need it…Its a tricky pattern which is hard to break, many of us try to do so by putting something on our to do list and booking it in our diary. This is a great step, but have you, like many others (myself included) ever found that you tick the box, you sit and have a brew, go for a walk, have a massage…Whatever your me time activity is that works for you, and found that you don’t feel any benefit from it, you don’t feel more refreshed and focused, just more rushed to get everything else done?
This may be because you are not actually taking that moment for yourself and really appreciating the moment. I have had many people over the years in my treatment room who have focused on all of the stressful tasks they have to do for the rest of the day or week, quietly talked to themselves about things that need doing, even been on their phones sending emails or talking to people while they are having a treatment. I myself have found I sit, have that nice cup of tea and pick up my phone to go through emails or checking on my social media, the same sometimes with going for a walk..
When we do this we are not gaining the benefits of the time we are taking, we are simply adding another thing to our to do list…I need me time, its on the list, I’ve done it, now back to work. If we are not engaged or present is it really me time?
I am a big fan of stacking your activities, there is nothing wrong with checking and returning messages while out for a walk, and enjoying a cup of tea while you respond to emails of course. This is different, and a very efficient way to get things done. But Me time is important, it is time taken just for you, to refresh, ground and balance you so that you are able to take on the day with a clearer head, giving your body and mind a break in the pressures you are feeling.
When working out, we all know that breaks and rests are needed in order to avoid injury, in the case of injury we need time to rest and heal before building up strength again. The same is true for over work in our lives, we need to take breaks, do something to refresh ourselves to avoid illness, injury or burn out, if one of these occurs, we need to allow our body and mind time to heal so that we can build strength and resilience again in time.
The time you set aside is your time, you deserve it and will feel so much better if you accept the gift of this time. Turn off or at least put down your phone, do whatever you are doing with mindful consciousness, even if what you are doing is five minutes of doing nothing. If you are worried about loosing track of time, set a timer, I often do this if I have some free time, I have 30 mins, so I set a timer for 15 mins on my phone then go for a walk, I can focus on enjoying the walk because I know the timer will tell me when it is time to turn around so I can get the most our of the time without thinking about how much longer I have or when I need to be back. When I do this I feel more refreshed, grounded and generally more focused for the next task I need to complete.
So this is my message today, go further than just marking the time in your planner, make sure your really turn up, be present, in the moment, appreciate it, make it quality time, so that you are better equipped to calmly handle whatever life sends your way.
The Barefoot therapist 