The Reasons to Allow Yourself to Have “Me Time”

Why You Need Alone Time Featured

In a world that is always connected, it’s often hard to find alone time where you can take a few moments just for you. Between work, family, school, housework and other obligations, it’s easy to quickly exhaust all of your time and energy. This is what makes “Me Time” all the more essential. Having an opportunity to slow down, if only for a short time, can allow your body and mind critical time to recharge. Instead of thinking of alone time as something that is generally equated to sadness or feeling lonely, let’s take a look at the reasons Me Time is beneficial. 

How to Find Me Time

While it sounds like a great idea, finding time for yourself can often be challenging. Between your workload, family life and everyone or everything else that demands your attention, Me Time can be hard to come by.

Why You Need Alone Time Frustration

Let’s take a look at a few easy steps to help. 

  • Start getting up early or going to bed later. Even waking up 30 minutes early can provide you with a nice amount of time to meditate, exercise or plan your schedule for the day. 
  • Disconnecting from the world often sounds and feels impossible, but it’s doable and often necessary. Set time aside each day to turn off the TV and your phone and step away from the Internet. Each of these distractions can quickly pull you right out of your Me Time, so set all of them aside and make time for you.
  • Schedule alone time on your calendar. If finding time is really a challenge, schedule it on your calendar. Block off as much or as little time as you need for yourself but add it to the calendar so you know it’s something you cannot put aside. What you do with the time is less important than just doing it.
  • Learning to delegate or say no is critical to making time for yourself. This can include asking a spouse to help with taking the kids to school, delegating at work so you are not shouldering it all, and certainly saying no to taking on new responsibilities. Delegating or saying “no” may feel counterintuitive, but it’s a necessity to help you carve out time for yourself. 

Relieve Stress

Of all the reasons you will want more “me” time, stress relief is likely at the very top. A 2017 study showed clear results that people making time for themselves will experience stress relief and relaxation. Instead of trying to make sure everyone around is okay and putting on a smile at work, relax and just be yourself.

Why You Need Alone Time Meditation

We can only be “on” for so many hours in a day before our brain gets overloaded and stress takes over. Use that Me Time to do things that are also associated with stress relief. Physical activities like running, yoga or meditation can help reduce stress while providing the traditional benefits of exercising. 

Increasing Creativity

There is a reason many people claim that their best work is done in times of solitude. Thinking of creative solutions can be difficult when you are constantly distracted by other aspects of your life. When you are alone, your brain has time to wonder which can lead to creativity sparks. Having an opportunity to do more creative deep thinking when you are alone will allow you to find solutions you may not have otherwise considered or discovered. 

Do What You Want

Why You Need Alone Time Book Reading

One of the biggest benefits of Me Time is having the opportunity to do whatever you want. The pressures of everyday life go away if only for a little bit, allowing you to do anything you desire. How often do you find moments where you can do anything you want without anyone telling you no? This is the absolute best time to find a new hobby, finish that book you’ve been reading for months now or start and finish a project around the house.  

Increase Productivity

In the same regard as increasing creativity, you will also see productivity skyrocket thanks to some alone time. Studies show that productivity increases when you are alone. If you are staring down the deadline of an important work project and struggling to find time to get it done, schedule time for yourself to work on it. This way you can guarantee you will have the time and distraction-free opportunity to do the work that needs to be done. Beyond work, productivity can also increase on home or personal projects you want to complete.

Find Clarity

Why You Need Alone Time Pier

When times are tough and life feels like it’s lining up against you, sometimes all you need is a little time. It’s during this solitude that you can take a minute and evaluate everything that is happening and why it feels like the walls are caving in. Taking a step back and allowing yourself to think and process can be exactly what you need to find the clarity to move. Whether you take the Me Time after a breakup or work assignment that didn’t go well, taking time to find inner clarity and working through your emotions is something you can only do on your own. 

Final Thoughts

Taking time for yourself has often been stigmatized as something people only do when they are depressed or sad. That is hardly the reality of the situation and only serves to prevent people from taking breaks they may desperately need. Instead, thinking of Me Time as a way to get yourself through a difficult time or to find your inner creativity again is highly valuable. Whatever your reasoning, taking time for yourself should never be frowned up. It should be celebrated. 

David Beren

David Beren is a freelance writer with over 10 years of writing experience. He loves dogs, his kids and hacking productivity.

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