Me-Time–What is It? Why is it Important?

“Me-time”.

Sounds a little selfish, huh? I suppose it would be if it was “all about you, all the time.” The Me-time I’m referring to is replenishment time just by yourself without any responsibilities to anyone else. The majority of my clients say that they do not get enough (or any) Me-time in a typical week. That’s scary! Why? Because of forsaking the concept of “replenishment”. If we keep going, going, going like the Energizer bunny and don’t take any time for ourselves to stop and re-fill our emotional gas tanks, we will border on burnout. And then those people that we are now constantly giving our time to, will only get the remnants of our energy. That doesn’t bode well for personal relationships nor work productivity.

For some reason we think it’s OK to just keep driving with a gas tank on “E”. We think: We would feel guilty if we took time to relax. Or, we would feel like we are letting people down. Or, there is just so much to do. Or, we are maybe a little addicted to the adrenaline rush of being busy all the time–and being alone with our thoughts seems uncomfortable.  So we plug on for another day. But it will catch up to us eventually. Feeling a little numb just thinking about it?

Convinced yet that the consequences are not optimal? How about the potential rewards? You might just get to that hobby that allows you to do something recreational outside of work. You might just get to take stock of the pace at which you are running to evaluate if it’s healthy for you long-term. You might just get some goal-setting time to figure out where you want to be one year from now. You might just relish a pampering experience like a massage, manicure, fishing trip, or an evening rocking in a hammock. Whatever fills your emotional tank and gives you joy and makes you smile–that’s what you do during Me-time.

Where to find Me-time? It starts with making a commitment to carving it out of your weekly schedule. Find a block of time and tell your family that you are needing some time to yourself to rest and rejuvenate. Ask them if they’d honor that time for you to be off-duty. Then put up boundaries to protect that time. Put your phone on the charger and close the laptop. Maybe you’re the kind who just wants to stare at the sky or stars, and maybe you are a planner who wants to intentionally decide what fun activity you will do. You can do this! Hang up your superhero cape for a few hours and recharge! You won’t regret it. In fact, you might just make it into a habit. And everyone wins!

Want to talk about your schedule and priorities–for more optimal living? Let’s see if coaching is just what you need right now to encourage you to make a plan for the 2nd half of this crazy 2020 year.  Reach out at growingforward@paulcasey.org