Craving more “me time” these days?
Yep, I hear you. Me too!
While it’s ideal to carve out an hour a day for yourself and occasionally an evening or weekend, too, the truth is, it can be hard to find big chunks of time for rest and renewal when you’ve got a busy career, a growing family, volunteer commitments and a household to take care of.
But 10 or 15 minutes for a quick reset? That’s more manageable, right?
Unfortunately, a lot of us fall into the “Oh I only have 15 minutes” rut so instead we default to flipping through Facebook or Instagram and waste our time going down the rabbit hole of silly cat videos or political posts that leave you feeling drained.
The key to maximizing those little pockets of time is being more intentional about the precious “me time” that you do have. Tuck a few ideas in your back pocket and you’ll reap the rewards BIG TIME!
Here are 5 quick strategies to help you recharge your batteries in 15 minutes or less…
1. Drive in silence. If you spend a lot of time in your car, this can be a great time to rest and reflect. Turn off the radio, get off the cell phone and heavens to Betsy, please don’t text! Whether you are doing a 10 minute errand or driving an hour across town (if you live in a big city like I do in Houston!), the more you can reduce the noise in your life, the better off you’ll be!
2. Go outside. I write about spending time outdoors a lot and that’s because it’s essential for our health and well-being. Mother Nature is the greatest teacher of balance and flow that we will ever have. Eat your lunch outside on a park bench instead of at your desk. If you work from home, take a mid-morning walk around the neighborhood and another one in the afternoon (if you can squeeze it in). Make sure you don’t take any technology with you. When your kids get home from school, play with them in your backyard or take them to a local park. Fresh air and warm sunshine — it’s always good for the spirit!
3. Meditate. I get it. Meditation isn’t always easy. I have had an on-again off- again relationship with it for years. What I do know is that when I meditate regularly, my mind is clear, I have more patience, and I’m much more creative. Research continues to show that meditation is good for brain health and overall well-being. Here are some guided meditations from the Chopra Center that you can check out. And my best friend recently reminded me about the Sa Na Ta Ma meditation which I had learned about years ago.
4. Move your body. Whether you love to dance, do yoga, stretch or go for a run, 15 minutes of moving your body can help to reset your entire day. As of this writing, I got less than six hours of sleep last night due to being up in the night with both the kid and the cat. I work out with an awesome personal trainer twice a week and I desperately wanted to cancel her this morning. But I decided not to. The workout that we did for 30 minutes this morning will help me to power through my day!
5. Write morning pages. Julia Cameron made these popular in her creative classic “The Artist’s Way”. She suggests writing three pages of a brain dump first thing in the morning to help clear your head. I rarely write my morning pages in the morning, but I know that when I scribble three pages worth of junk and get it out of my head, I move forward with focus and clarity through the rest of my day. Always carry a pocket sized journal with you so that if you’ve got 15 minutes at the doctor’s office or waiting in the carpool line to pick up your kids, you can still find time to write.
What are you going to do with your next 15 minutes of “Me Time”? I’d love to know! Send me a note!
Here’s to more “Me Time” for all of us!
Elizabeth