Self-Care: Me-Time and the Importance Of It
At first it might feel uncomfortable, but it is so necessary to protect our mental, emotional and physical health. Even 15 min per day where you can focus on you and feed your soul. A good book, a glass of wine or tea, yoga, meditation, walk around the block, energizing music, it’s important to “Just Do It.”
When you do this, you will attract emotionally healthy people into your life when you take good emotional care of yourself.
In today’s constantly connected world, finding solitude has become a lost art. Western culture tends to equate a desire for solitude with who are lonely, sad, or have antisocial tendencies. But seeking solitude can actually be quite healthy. There are many physical and psychological benefits to spending time alone.
1. Solitude allows you to reboot your brain and unwind.
2. Solitude helps to improve concentration and increase productivity.
3. Solitude provides time for you to think deeply
4. Solitude helps you work through problems more effectively.
5. Solitude gives you an opportunity to discover yourself and find your own voice
6. Solitude can enhance the quality of your relationships with others.
Despite knowing these benefits, it can be a challenge to find time alone in a world that seems to never sleep.
Here are a few ides to help you find more time to spend with yourself.
1. Disconnect – turn off cell phones, tv, radio, internet.
2. Get Up or Get early – Wake up 1/2 hour earlier than everyone in house and use time to create, produce, problem solve, mediate. Get to work before everyone else.
3. Close your door – to reduce interruptions
4. Use your lunch time – don’t spend lunch time at desk. Don’t do errands. Sit outside in the sun, go to the park and eat, enjoy time alone.
4. Schedule solitude – just like appointment etc.
Therapeutic Benefits Using Adult Coloring Books
Coloring books as just as beneficial for adults as they are for children. There are many scientific studies that prove the benefits listed below.
Some of the benefits are:
1. Coloring pages help to de-stress.
2. Coloring activities activate both parts of the cerebral hemisphere.
3. Coloring pages for adults take them back to childhood, stress free days.
4. Coloring is like mediation
5. Coloring for adults helps reduce anxiety
6. Coloring for adults helps them re-discover themselves
7. Coloring for adults is a perfect therapy for many diseases
8. Coloring for adults helps spark creativity.
9. Coloring helps adults reconnect with their inner child.
10. Coloring books for adults help transport one to a time and a place faraway.
Being the Best You Can Be – The Perfect Balance Diet by Lissa Coffey
Imagine you’re outside, by a beautiful lake, enjoying the perfection of your surroundings. You feel comfortable, relaxed, as if you are an important part of it all, You are so in tune that it is as if you can hear nature speaking to you.
You see a swan glide past, and the swan is thinking to itself: “How wonderful it is to be a swan. I can take my time; life is serene. I am graceful and lovely. All is right with the world.”
And then you notice an eagle flying high overhead, and the eagle is thing: “Ah, what a joy it is to be an eagle. I am strong, and free. This is the life!:
A hummingbird flits past, and you can hear the humming bird is thinking: “I’m having so much fun on this glorious day. There’s so to see and do. I’m so glad I’m a humming bird and can move easily to all the things I love.”
Everything in nature has a purpose. We’re all connected. Sitting among the trees and looking at the clear blue sky you know that you are an important part of this connection. You breathe deeply and feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and peace. No, imagine you’re in that same place, place, same time. When you hear nature speaking to you things are a bit different.
You see a swan gliding past, and the swan thinks to itself: “Oh, my. Why am I stuck being a swan? I would so much rather be like that little humming bird. I want to flit around like that! I feel so dumpy just floating here on this silly lake.”
Then the eagle flies overhead, and you read its thoughts: “Wow. Look at that swan down there. He’s got the good life. Why can’t I just hang out on the lake? Instead I’m up here working so hard. This isn’t fair. I’d rather be a swan.”
Then the humming bird flits by and thinks: “Really? That eagle is so lucky. She’s way up there with a great vantage point. She can go so far without even flapping her wings. I’m down here pumping away a million beats a minute! Man, I want to be an eagle.”
Somehow, this second scenario just doesn’t make sense, does it? Because this is not how nature operates! And yet, this is exactly what we do as human beings all the time. We fight our own nature. We compare ourselves to one another. We think we need to always be thinner, more beautiful, more successful, more something, anything! When the truth is that we are inherently perfect. If we are carrying around excess weight,or stress, or feeling bad about ourselves it is because we are out of balance, our lives are out of balance in one way or another. We can find that perfect state of balance, and regain our strength and confidence and energy to be the best that we can be.
The most important thing we can do for ourselves, to be our healthiest and happiest, body, mind, and spirit, is to know who we are. Some of us are swans, some of us are eagles, and some of us are humming birds. Each being is valid, each being has value, and each being brings his or her unique gifts to the world. when we know ourselves, and our own nature, we allow the best of ourselves to shine through. Nature operates through us. So why are we fighting it?
Daily Joy Corner
“Courage is being scared to death – and saddling up anyway.” — John Wayne
“The art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” — Henry Havelock Elis
“It’s isn’t where you came from, its where you’re going that counts.” — Ella Fitzgerald
“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” — Benjamin Spock
TIME FOR SELF NEWSLETTER contributed by:
Heather Young, owner of Time for Self
Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) / Yuen Method™/ Holistic Practitioner
Certified Personal Transformation Coach / Alternative and Energetic Medicines
403-358-2362 — Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
