Seven benefits of ‘me’ time

Ever feel like you never get a minute’s peace? Constantly surrounded by people making demands on your time; your family, your friends, your partner, your colleagues? Don’t worry; you aren’t alone.

The demands of modern day life can be overwhelming; running a business, working a job, taking care of a family, participating in social commitments. Whatever your lifestyle demands, you need to make sure you don’t burn out.

Taking time for yourself is vital. We often prioritise everyone else’s needs before our own because we don’t want to seem selfish or feel guilty but that’s not healthy.

Here are seven ways that spending time taking care of yourself will make you better at your job and improve your life.

Reduce stress and unwind

If you don’t prioritise “me” time then you’ll feel more exhausted, more run down and more rushed. Being constantly under pressure will increase your stress levels and eventually you burn out. Take time out to unwind, recharge your batteries and bring your stress levels down.

Reboot your brain and be more productive

Having a never-ending list of tasks and working from the moment you wake up until the moment you fall asleep is not healthy. The human brain wasn’t built for extended periods of focus. You need to take regular breaks if you want to stay productive. Doing something enjoyable in those breaks will refresh you and get you back on track.

Improve concentration and aid problem solving

If you’ve been forcing yourself to focus on completing a task or solving a problem and you don’t seem to be getting anywhere then take a break. Doing something you enjoy will help you relax and not put your brain under so much pressure. You’ll often find that the solution will suddenly come to you because you aren’t trying to force it.

Allow time for self-discovery and deeper thinking

We need to take time to stop and evaluate ourselves every now and then. What is important to us? What are our core values? What are our goals? Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day tasks that we forget about what we want and who we are. If we aren’t aligning our actions with our objectives then we can become unhappy and unfulfilled.

Improve your relationships

Making yourself a priority shows other people that you respect your own needs. If you don’t respect yourself then others can start to take advantage of that. Value yourself and others will value you.

“Me” time will energise you and make you feel healthier and happier putting you in a better position to love and support the people you care about.

Better work-life balance

Understanding the importance of looking after your needs makes it easier to create a better work-life balance. You learn to say “no” and walk away rather than take on every task, problem or chore that comes our way. This allows us to manage the important things in our life more effectively.

Greater well-being

Doing the things that we enjoy makes us feel happier. Feeling happier makes us more positive, healthy and fulfilled. Taking time to have fun, relax or do something just for us improves our well-being and sense of self-worth.

How to make more “me” time

“Me” time doesn’t necessarily mean doing something alone, it just means doing something you enjoy. This could be reading a book with your children, going for a walk with friends or curling up to watch a movie with your partner.

Here are some ideas for things you can do to give yourself a break:

• Go to the park or for a walk on your lunch break
• Listen to music
• Read a book or magazine
• Watch a film or favourite TV show
• Take a relaxing bath
• Do something creative (write, draw, cook, sew)
• Meditate
• Spend five minutes before bed thinking positive thoughts
• Get up early and write down something you are looking forward to
• Have a coffee in your garden
• Exercise
• Pamper yourself

The quality of your “me” time is more important than the quantity. Even if you have a full schedule, make sure you take ten minutes to focus on something you enjoy. Close the office door, switch off technology and give yourself a break.

Need help achieving that work-life balance?

Claire Buck is a Business and Personal Growth Specialist, a wife, a mother and successful business woman.

If you are finding it hard to get the work-life balance right or struggle to find time for yourself then contact her at www.clairebuck.com Find out how she can help you evaluate the areas of your life where you can make changes to help you achieve the balance you want.