When was the last time you stopped whatever you were doing, and took some time to smell the roses? To pamper yourself? To indulge your cravings?
Our lives are getting more and more busy and with each day, it seems as if there are not enough hours to complete what needs to be done. As we head toward the end of the year, our tasks seem to lengthen as we add organizing and celebrating the upcoming festivities to our list of things to do.
If you are like most people and find it hard to create boundaries between home, family life and a social life, then it becomes all the more difficult to set time aside to relax. Within our "free time" we are constantly bombarded by images and messages: our laptops, TVs, cell phones, iPods...there’s constant activity as our fingers type messages, push buttons and flick on remotes and our minds absorb all that’s happening even as we plan for the next couple of hours, days and even months.
With all this constant buzz, it’s no wonder that we often feel drained of energy and suffer from insomnia and stress. It’s important to step back and take some time to reassess our lives. Do we want to spend the next 10 years on the move, never finding time to enjoy it all? Our kids will grow up, we will grow older and all the while, our mental and physical well-being gets put on the backburner. Carving out some time for ourselves each day is important, and we can begin with the following:
Fighting insomnia: Most of us will work late into the night and wake up at the crack of dawn to begin our days. Try getting to bed even half hour earlier than you usually do to catch up on your much-needed sleep. A bedtime drink of warm milk or chamomile tea may also help. If you can spare another 15 minutes, a brief yoga or meditation session will also help relax the body and the mind.
Early to bed, early to rise: If you do manage to readjust your bedtime routine, you can consider awaking earlier. This could be the time you get to spend exclusively for yourself. While you will be in a hurry to get on with your day’s activities, try practicing spending this time doing small tasks that are just for you: you could begin with a couple of stretching exercises, go for a walk or a run or just make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and read the newspapers. While doing this, you could put on a facemask, which is great way to wake up tired skin. Your special morning time doesn’t have to exceed 20-30 minutes; it does however have to be exclusively about you.
Book yourself an appointment: Mark of an hour each week in your calendar. You cannot cancel or reschedule this. This is your "me time" and you will spend it doing something that makes you happy. Perhaps you’d like to book a manicure or pedicure session? If you can't afford to go for one, giving yourself a home-made pedicure is easy. You can use this time to read a book, catch up on personal correspondence or even just take a nap.
Exercise your options: Make fitness a part of your life. While it’s hard to book yourself into the gym and undertake hour-long sessions with a personal trainer, it’s not hard to get exercise into your daily life. Consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator or getting off one bus stop ahead and walking the distance. A simple 10 minutes of yoga, Pilates or stretching each day will also help tone up your body. Do this while waiting for dinner to be cooked or while on the phone with a friend. Run along with the kids in the playground or join them in a bike riding session. Try incorporating fun into your mini-exercise sessions and you’ll be more likely to keep them up.
Play brain games: Just as your body needs physical stimulation so too does it need mental nourishment. Resting well and eating well are only the start to a healthy mind. You also need to make the time to relax and unwind. Reading a book, listening to music or doing a crossword puzzle all contribute to mental stimulation. Finding time to do this is easier than you think: on the train to work, at your desk while on a coffee break, in the washroom, while cooking meals, etc.
Just as you would plan ahead for a family get-together, business meeting or your child’s play date, scheduling some free time for yourself will allow you to enjoy it without feeling guilty or under pressure to commit to something else.
