I don’t mean you got to go to the supermarket on your own without the kids. I don’t mean you took the dog for a walk, although yes, I know, early mornings and late nights, a dog walk can be calming and peaceful and really quite nice. But as much as we love our family pets and a bit of shopping, it isn’t the same as doing something for ourselves.
I mean a swim. A run. A bike ride. A walk. A drive. An hour sitting reading a magazine (nudge nudge). Meeting a friend, going for a coffee, or just people watching in a local coffee shop.
In this busy world we forget that we need time for us as well.
It doesn’t have to be a spa day
It doesn’t need to be afternoon tea and spa days. It can be a bath or shower routine where nobody bothers you for an hour and you just breathe.
Our job is so demanding. We are on from the minute the children arrive until the minute they leave. We do not switch off. You can’t. You need eyes in the back of your head, the top of your head and the bottom of your head. We all know that, which means we need time to switch off properly.
Switching off looks different for everybody. Some people like music. Some need a darkened room and silence. I vary. Sometimes I want a darkened room and silence, and sometimes I want to go for a drive with nice music on in the car.
There is no right or wrong way of doing something for yourself.
Put it in the diary
We need to get into the habit of scheduling me time. We schedule the dentist. We schedule the doctor and the optician. What about us?
Put it in. Weekly, monthly, quarterly, however you want it to look.
I have a friend who lives nowhere near me. We book three visits in advance for the year, so we both know when we’ll see each other. It’s in the diary, so it happens.
What little things could you do each week?
- A long bath routine
- A walk
- A swim
- A chat with friends
- A yoga session
- Sitting on the sofa watching trashy TV
It doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. In my experience, small and simple wins every time.
Your turn
Fill this in, then put each one in your diary. Want the free download? Click here
| How often | Something just for me |
|---|---|
| Every day (even ten minutes) | |
| Every week | |
| Every month | |
| Every quarter | |
| Once a year |
If you can only fill in one line, make it the weekly one, and write it in the diary today.