How Truly Necessary is 'Me-Time'?

I know it’s been a while since my last blog, but you know when so many things catch up with you and you’re suddenly running 4 directions at a time while trying to lead a balanced and ‘relaxed’ life? Well, that was me this past month and I have to say…I have not enjoyed it ;p I would constantly feel worn out, stressed, anxious that I might not have been able to do everything that I was supposed to, etc. Almost daily, we all get caught up in our routines, tasks, deadlines, work or school, and we forget that sometimes our bodies cannot keep up with our minds. We run towards new responsibilities because it’s a way for us to feel useful and like we’re contributing to something, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It’s just that by keeping so busy all the time, we forget to rest. Slowing down every now and then, and by that, I mean taking about 1 hour a day for ourselves, helps us more than we think it does.

We often tend to confuse slowing down with being/getting lazy. We convince ourselves that, “This is how life is, you work endlessly with no rest whatsoever,” and if you even think about sitting down and taking some time to yourself, that means that you have become lazy and are ‘losing your touch’. Personally, I’m (or was) the kind of person that believed that if I didn’t feel stressed all the time then, I wasn’t working hard enough; I needed stress to drive me to do things, to show me that I had taken enough on my plate and that I was even surpassing expectations that others, or even me, had set for my self.

I learned this the hard way, and I have to say that it took me a lot of getting used to, but slowing down during the day and taking a few minutes (whatever time amount suits you), really helps in the long run. It might seem like a waste of time in the beginning, it feels pointless, “I don’t have time for this”, “Maybe another day because my schedule is full right now”, and so on and so forth. Well, make time! It is not selfish, it is not being lazy, it’s being a human being and needing rest to ‘re-group’ in order to keep yourself calm and healthy.

What you do during those minutes that you take is completely dependant on personal likes, hobbies, interests, and needs. The deal is that during that time, there’s no work, no school, no meetings; it is your time to reflect, meditate, take a nap, play a sport, be with a friend, take your dog for a walk, or anything that will make you happy, calm, or feel less stressed. In the words of Dr.M. Scott Peck, “Self-discipline is self-caring.” I completely agree with that; and just as we are disciplined throughout our day in having our set routines, meetings, responsibilities, we need to add ‘free time’ to that discipline. Personal time, free of stress, free of the fast pace of life, is as important as our other responsibilities; for if we do not take care for our physical and mental being, I assure you that a time will come that we will ‘crash’. That might have different effects manifested in different people, but negative effects whatsoever.

To close this writing, I urge all of us to be a bit more ‘sympathetic’ to ourselves. We need to clear up our schedule for a few minutes a day and focus on using that time to take care of these beautiful and talented beings that were created to enjoy life (as much as they were created to work). My advice is also to not discourage a person from having this time to themselves by calling them ‘lazy’ or ‘slackers’ (or any name-calling whatsoever). In addition to being sympathetic to ourselves, we should do the same towards others; let’s just try to ‘be there’ for people. I remind you, slowing down or taking some time is not a bad thing, it is a gift you give yourself. Do not feel guilty, do not feel as you’re being lazy or delaying working; see it as a ‘battery charging’. Believe me, it will help immensely in the long run ;)

‘Till next time…