What can you turn into “time for yourself”?

by Sarah (April 2, 2008)

I often hear people talking about how, with everything they have to do in a day or a week, there’s never any time left just for themselves. Often, it seems like people assume that this time just has to take the form of having nothing to do, nowhere to be, no one around and the ability to just completely “veg out”, presumably without the distracting thoughts of things that are going to have to be accomplished later.

The thing is, there are often spaces in most days that can be carved out as “time for myself” if I just switch my brain into seeing it that way. For example

1. My commute to work. Personally, I either take the bus or walk to my workplace, and it was walking that made me realize that either way, the time in transit is time that I can spend relaxing, contemplating quietly and appreciating my solitude (even if it’s solitude in a crowd). The pressure of feeling like it’s “time lost” and concentrating constantly on what will need to be accomplished when I arrive, on the other hand, means that I’m draining energy to no useful purpose during that time. Even if you drive yourself and have to remain focused on the road, you can try to let go of all of the extra things that are coming in during that time - figure out what will let you do that, whether it be music, talk radio, or just silence.
2. Cooking. Since I love to cook, this was an easy switch for me, but even if meal planning and creation feels like a chore, think about the times that you’re just waiting while timers have been set for five, ten or twenty minutes. Those precious minutes can just be yours - if you have kids, this can be harder to take advantage of, but if you’re not the sole caregiver, then define time when you’re cooking as time that your partner is looking after the children. Even when these twenty minute periods come up that you might be inclined to squeeze in doing ten other tasks, commit yourself to just sitting down and flipping through a magazine or reading the newspaper instead.
3. Exercise. Given how many messages we hear about how important it is to stay healthy and get enough exercise, it’s easy to forget that exercise is both optional and an opportunity to relax. When we think of it as just one more thing we need to find the time for, we’re losing the mental health benefits that come from releasing that energy at the same time as we’re missing another opportunity to recognize time that we have to ourselves.

Regardless of the specifics of your routine, it’s almost inevitable that there are some components of it when you’re essentially just waiting or are in transition between one part and another. Instead of either seeing these times as wasted or allowing all the things that you need to do but can’t possibly get done right at that moment to run over and over in your head, treat them as opportunities to relax a little. Recognize the moments you do get to yourself, even if you can’t carve out time to do exactly what you want to do.

Subscribe to feed updates or email updates
Save it: Stumble it! | Del.icio.us | Digg
Posted in Personal Development
Want your tip featured on Bohemian Revolution? Click here!