The importance of taking time out for ourselves and the benefits it has on our health, is now well publicised.
So why was it that on so many occasions when I put aside time for ‘me’ I didn’t feel the benefit that I’d imagined?
What was I doing with my ‘me’ time?
How did I feel? And what was going on in my head?
And then I realised – that so often I spent my ‘me’ time doing something useful e.g. shopping, painting, studying or even exercising the horses
What was I feeling during this time? – often tired and sometimes resentful
And what was going on in my head? – endless thoughts about never having any time for me!
During the last few years I have begun to understand a more replenishing experience of ‘me’ time.
What am I doing now when I take time out for myself??
I could be walking with Alfie across the fields, admiring the beautiful countryside, sitting in the garden or in the field with the horses, having a massage or a healing treatment or simply resting in the chair.
What am I feeling?
If I’m outside I might feel the warmth of the sun on my face, or the wind blowing through my hair, the crisp coldness on my skin or the quality of the ground underneath me.
If I’m having a treatment I might feel the warmth of the room, the gentle movements on my skin and my breathing slowing as I relax into the chair or the treatment bed.
…and on any of these occasions what I eventually feel is stillness and the feeling of peace all around me.
And what is going on in my head?
Who knows? By this time I’m so relaxed that the thoughts just come and go like clouds passing through the sky.
This is now my idea of the ‘me’ time that replenishes my soul. Every day take some time for yourself
What is your idea of ‘me’ time?