BE KIND TO YOURSELF – FINDING TIME FOR YOU
Taking time out for yourself can be hard to do. But it is essential for your mental wellbeing.
Giving yourself a break should be one of the most important things you do. It allows your brain to have a rest, unwind and clear. After all, how can you look after everyone else, if you haven’t looked after yourself first?
Make a date with yourself. In a world of busyness finding that ten minutes for you and you alone can seem a daunting task so start by making time in the diary. What you do is up to you? Sit. Read. Create. Visit. The point is not that you have to have achieved something, it is simply to spend time on your own doing what you want to do. No one else.
Plan. In saying to your family that you need some me-time, be clear about it whilst also offering support to others in their efforts to find time for themselves. There’s no point simply stating you need some time, give specifics and then return the favour.
Embrace those stolen moments of alone time. This could be in the time before the school run, walking to the shop or simply putting the phone on silent but taking these little gifts of time to breathe and check-in with yourself can make all the difference.
Do not give your time away. It is so easy to give away your precious me-time without thinking but the reward will come when you guard it fiercely. This may mean saying no when some asks to join you on your walk in the hills or eats into your time. Friends can be the most treasured thing but so is being kind to yourself.
Do nothing. Recharging the batteries is just as significant as completing the to-do list. Use the simple power of heat and essential oils to add a sense of relaxation to your afternoon cuppa or just sit in the garden and take it all in.