3 REASONS TO MAKE TIME FOR YOU.
A typical trait of a self-employed individual is their desire to work work work.
What do you think when you read that statement? Do you think that's a bad thing, to want to work all the time?
I don't.
Working doesn't stress me out. I love my job, with a capital L. I'm incredibly fortunate that everywhere I go and everything I do can be an opportunity to share with you. But a lot of the time I'll find myself being driven by that, rather than making an active choice to do something I want to independently of work - and that's where 'taking time out' comes in.
I mentioned a while back that once a month I was going to have a full 24 hours off work and social - and I haven't done it since that one time I stayed in a barn that had no signal for a 20 mile radius (nothing like forced relaxation, eh?)
Looking after yourself is really important, but actually tearing myself away from what I do is really challenging for me.
So maybe that's not the answer. I realise that I need time away - that doesn't mean I can't work, but it does mean I need to make the active decision to take it and not be driven by my schedule - So whether I'm working or not, dedicating a day or two a month to say 'This is where I'm going, on this date, to do some sort of relaxing, and I'm not going to cancel it'.
Alone, with friends, partners or family it doesn't matter - I just know I'll be a happier individual if I have those ~breaks~ to look forward to.
Here are a few reasons (and perhaps a few pointers) on why I think that's really beneficial:
Time to Think
My job enables me to have a completely different day, every day. But that doesn't stop the habitual routine creeping up on you. Regardless of whether your lifestyle is the best thing since sliced bread, you still need time out of that situation to think. Simply taking a day to do something not entirely focused around your job will give you the headspace to get some perspective.
Self Importance
A thing I struggle to remember is that I'm important too. In a lot of ways I will put myself first - I don't ever do things that will make me unhappy or purely to appease someone else; but I do sometimes forget that it's key to focus on what I want and where I'm going, rather than just getting lost in the moment and focusing too much on what other people might think.
Something as easy as taking 5 minutes on that day to make a list of goals you'd like to achieve or realising, actually that colleague has asked too much and it's okay for me to go back and say 'no' this time will both help you feel like you've been productive but you're also looking after you.
Being Healthy
I'm not an active individual and I've never invested much time in my diet to have enough knowledge to 'care' about what I eat (I'm getting there, baby steps). But in terms of lifestyle, if you work and work and work until you burn yourself out, that's not good for anyone, is it? You might feel like you're still healthy, but actually if you never have time to stop - when you go on your annual 2 week sun holiday say, you'll probably end up with chronic exhaustion and all of the sickness because your body is just too tired. It kinda defeats the object, huh?
We all need a little me time, sometimes. And realising that it really will benefit us in the long run is half the battle.
If you're looking for your first getaway, I'd highly recommend The Hoxton Hotel in Holborn, London Lindsey and I had such a lovely few days there, frolicking in our (rather incredible) pyjamas, eating all the good food and having all of the good talks (over all the good cocktails).
And if you're as head over heels for our PJ's as we are, you can shop them here:
MY SHIRT DRESS | LINDSEY'S TOP | LINDSEY'S SHORTS
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