OK I have to confess, I still struggle with this month’s self care series topic!
For April’s installment of my self care series, I want to talk about how important it is to have some “me time.” If you follow me on Instagram, you know that last week I was lacking this. I was struggling with balancing it all: work life, blog life & personal life. I felt like I was being pulled in different directions & had to be everywhere at once. At the end of the day, I was neglecting myself & not taking care of myself mentally and physically. When I mean physically, I don’t mean like “Oh I skipped the gym today.” I mean, I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I was up super late every night just to finish a blog post or to make sure I replied to everyone’s comments on Instagram. Of course I hit a wall & just felt completely burnt out.
Let me also preface this by saying that I get “mentally burnt out” very easily.
If I schedule way too many things in one week, I can’t function. My social anxieties begin to kick in. I think going away to market & then scheduling some outings after work, all in the same week just did me in. I am an introvert (even though I am very outgoing when in the company of friends & family), so honestly just talking all day exhausts me. After a long day of work, I come home & just need some quiet time. Being “on” all the time, just doesn’t work for me. It’s like my brain just checks out after a while & I can’t function properly.
I don’t know how people just talk & talk and are on the move all day. That is just so not me. There are times when I just can’t even pick up someone’s phone call, because it will just push me over the edge depending on what kind of day I had. Even if there’s too much noise in my house (TV, music & being talking all at the same time), it drives me absolutely crazy & I can’t think. The anxiety kicks in & I just need to get in a quiet space with no noise. Dramatic, maybe. But I know me & I know my body and what’s best for me sometimes is to just take a step back.
Sweater | Tank | Leggings | Sneakers
And that’s exactly what I did last weekend. I unplugged from everything. No Instagram, no plans with friends, no working on my blog. Just ran some errands, baked at home & enjoyed time with my dog and my boyfriend. And it’s just what I needed. I felt recharged & ready to tackle life Monday morning. Letting my brain rest was just as important as letting my body rest.
Moral of the story is- that sometimes you just need need a minute, you need some “me time”.
And it’s up to you to determine what that “me time” looks like. For me, it’s reading a book in a quiet room or outdoors in the sunshine. It’s taking a long walk with Eva. It can be doing face masks, drinking a glass of wine & catching up on trashy reality TV. It’s spending some quality time with my boyfriend & just talking. We actually had one of the best conversations in a long time last weekend. He listened to how I was feeling & we came up with some solutions on how I should move forward and not let myself get so worked up again.
Take time this week to really focus on what your definition of “me time” means. Do you feel better once you have some quiet time during the week? Or maybe you like to let loose & going out and socializing is really what makes you unwind? Here are a few suggestions of “me time” I found that might help you better focus on what’s best for you:
- Yoga
- Meditate
- Go to the movies alone
- Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while
- Read a book
- Get a massage
- Go out for a long lunch alone
- Enjoy your favorite dessert
- Turn your phone off for a few hours
- Take a walk
- Watch your favorite movie
- Take a nap
- Get your nails done
Self care should be a priority for everyone. For more self-care tips, click here.
