Ask someone how they have been, and you’ll often get the reply ‘busy’.
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With the stress of juggling work, family, study, relationships, housework, commitments etc we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life with no time left for ourselves.
We are often more concerned with ensuring that everything on our to-do-list is done that we forget about how important it is to relax, unwind and enjoy a moment of solitude.
But such time is important in order to avoid things like stress, fatigue and burnout.
Quality time by yourself helps to maintain a healthy emotional well-being and balance in life.
So how do we find time to relax?
Schedule it into your calendar like you do anything else, plan for it, don’t feel guilty about it and enjoy every minute of it.
Plan a weekend off several months ahead so you don’t end up filling it with other obligations.
Find an afternoon once or twice a month where you can escape to the movies, read a book in the sunshine or take a walk along the beach – whatever makes you feel re-energised and alive.
If you have children organise with friend to have them for the afternoon and swap so you both have scheduled time out.
At the start of each day, pick half an hour when you get to do whatever you want: maybe take a relaxing bath, go for a jog, pop in to a café and enjoy a coffee.
You can find half an hour if you look ahead and schedule for it.
Be on the lookout for moments of time that you can enjoy for yourself.
Take your lunch to a park bench to eat, arrive early to an appointment, get up earlier in the morning so you have time to yourself before the day begins.
Often when we find ourselves with an empty hour, we spend time doing chores or we’ll reach for the phone or TV remote – but we need to take these moments to replenish and do something for ourselves – even if its just for a few minutes.
When you plan some quality time on your own make sure you find a quiet space where you can’t be interrupted.
It’s hard to recharge your batteries when you are surrounded by other people. Get out of the house or find somewhere where you can close the door and get away from it all.
Relax and enjoy!