Everyday you have some things you habitually do right? Probably without thinking too much about it.
Things like brushing your teeth, combing your hair, showering, eating…
These things are part of your routine and are really important to your health and well-being; even though they may seem to be small tasks in your day-to-day. They still are things you do every day and you don’t worry about finding time to ‘fit’ them in right? I mean whenever have you said, well I could brush my teeth or meet you for coffee…okay I’ll skip cleaning my teeth to fit in coffee instead? Hopefully never!
Okay..hold that thought for a moment.
I need to ask you something…ever feel burned out? (Don’t worry, I’m going somewhere with this) You know; those times you suddenly feel like you have no idea what you’re doing and the thought of running away to live in the woods with Tarzan sounds pretty good? Or at least throwing up your hands and eating an entire plate of brownies and then staying in bed with a good book all day?
We all have our “I’ve had it” routines but you get my drift. This burn out usually comes from a lack of ME time….or in this case YOU time.
We already understand that we have time in our day that is not negotiable right? The tooth brushing, the showering, the eating! At least it should be and if not we have a totally different problem..but that’s for another day!
Me time also needs to be put into your day as time that isn’t negotiable. (See I told you I would connect the dots) You should have time in your day for self care; for recharging. Not doing this will slide you really fast into burnout. REALLY fast.
So what do I mean by self-care time? In all actually, it will be different for every one. These are the things that are just for you; where you are disconnected from work and other stresses in your life. Let me share with you what I do in my time and perhaps that will inspire or help you clarify what you need.
Bonnie’s ME time:
- A long walk with Charlie (you know my pup!). This is where I started to really understand the concept of putting the time into my day. Before I had a dog to force the issue, I would work, work and work some more. I began to really look forward to the time alone with my dog…no phone, no homework, no clients, no computer!
- Meditation. There are many types and styles of meditation. The point is to find a way to begin to hear your own inner voice and connect with your body and soul and I must say meditation is wonderful for this. If you do try to begin keep in mind that if one method doesn’t work for you, no worries. Try another. The first time I tried meditation the person instructing the practice wanted us to stare into a candle flame to help center and quiet our thoughts. What a yucky experience for me, all I got was a headache! However, when I learned a different technique focussed on breathing, I found my way inward.
- A Gratitude Journal. Every night before bed I set aside some time to journal what I’m so very blessed with. Going to bed with positive energy is the way to go!
The key to all of this of course to understand that you are worth the time invested in you. These activities are ones that I don’t negotiate. They are a habit just like brushing my teeth. These are things that keep me from burning out, they recharge my batteries. It took a while to create these habits but hey, I’m worth it!
Now it’s your turn..what are some things you have in place that are daily self-care routines to help prevent your burnout? If you don’t have them already in place what are you going to do to start?
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Me time..sometimes I have too much me time, (right now, for instance). But…when I can just sit in my comfy chair with a book and just ignore all else. That’s the perfect me time.
Throw a cafe mocha and a good book and you are talking heaven Stuart! 🙂
I love my ME TIME!! It’s how I keep balance throughout the days and weeks.
Good to hear PeggyLee Truth be told I’m not surprised!
Great post!
I enjoyed reading this so much! My me time is always on the comfy bean bag with a book. And the phone is always switched off at this time… that is just how it should be..only me!
oh.. I bean bag..how much fun is that!? I love that you switch off your phone Hajra. That’s brilliant!
You call it meditation time. I call it veg time. But, I leave time for my “veggies” long after dinner. And, then, I can sleep “like a baby” all night long..
Ah see for me that is two different things. Vegging out for me is just brain OFF lol I always wonder about that saying Roy,”sleep like a baby” dont’ babies wake up crying every 4 hours or so? lol *wink