The Importance of “Me Time”
We’ve all heard it at some point in time, “you need to make more time for yourself!” or “time alone is crucial to your mental health.” Yet, how often do we truly immerse ourselves into spending time alone? Many of us, like myself, spend time alone but don’t fully take advantage of it. Technology, as we all know, has become a huge part of our lives, and whether we like to admit it to ourselves or not, it can impact us negatively.
Picture this: after a long day of classes or work, you decide later that night to have some time to yourself to decompress and get your life all sorted out. However, when that time comes, most of us end up scrolling through our social media accounts, liking photos and posts, retweeting funny tweets, sending relatable content to our friends, and so on. So, how much “me time” do we spend? Personally, I’m a victim of this too, and it can be difficult to not succumb to all the quick fixes and pleasures of technology when it’s right at your fingertips. To help you, and to help myself, I’ve put together a list of tips and advice for getting more out of “me time.”
1. Shut off your phone. I know its hard, but c’mon, just do it. You’ll thank yourself later. If you’re afraid of missing an important phone call or an in the event of an emergency, place your phone across the room and turn the ringer on vibrate.
(Photo by Yahdi Romelo)
2. Turn off all other background noises and distractions. This includes the television, music, other electronics, and lastly; shut your window and close the door if you have rowdy neighbors.
(Photo by Kinga Cichewicz)
3. Light a candle, burn some incense, plug in your favorite string lights or salt lamp. The aroma in the room and/or the relaxing lighting can help your body get into relaxation mode.
(Photo by Sweet Ice Cream Photography)
4. Write in a planner. Whether you’re writing down your weekly class or work schedule, or an exercise schedule, it is beneficial to clear your mind and plan out the week ahead of you.
(Photo by Estée Janssens)
5. Ask yourself what goals you’d like to accomplish. These can be long-term or short-term, but regardless, setting goals for yourself reminds you to stay focused, and allows you to dream bigger. Write down a plan to reach these goals and be honest with yourself about what you’ll need to sacrifice or give up achieving this goal. Some planners even leave space for you to do this! You are your most important asset, never sell yourself short! ?
(Photo by Estée Janssens)
6. Sit down, relax, and meditate. Now that you’ve written down all you need to do for the week and made plans for your goals, you can let loose and decompress. Meditation helps eliminate stress, worry, and can lead you to living a happier life. If you’ve never meditated before, I’ve provided a link to an audio recording which will tell you exactly what you need to do. This last step will require your phone or laptop, so technology can be used for this last step ?
(Photo by Jared Rice)
Meditation Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4fRZU5oEMI
Now, make some time for yourself each day and allow yourself to breathe! You’re capable of amazing things, so be good to yourself.