ME TIME!

25 Oct ME TIME!

Self-Love/ Self-Care is the need of the hour. We understand how important it is and why so much hype around it.

To start with, I have spent more than a decade of my life living in Mumbai. This city moves really fast. If you are not good at Management, chances are you might end up getting frustrated or depressed. This city tries to teach you Management – Travel Management, Self Management and Time Management.  It is an institute in itself. Whether you are a management trainee, a films/television struggler, a student, a corporate professional, a homemaker, a railway station vendor, a house help, an auto-rickshaw driver; it doesn’t differentiate while giving lessons.

After all these years, what people say about Mumbai that ‘Mumbai never sleeps’, being the night owl that I am, I have seen the wee hours here, the Long Drives, ‘Cycle wali Chai / Coffee, even Boost’.

In spite of the rush hours of local trains, weekends with friends, grocery shopping, bill payments, cooking, laundry, office etc… the only thing constant in my life was – the little time I spent with Myself, every week, and it got me going through rough patches of life as well.

A general notion is – a person spending time alone is an Introvert, Non-social or has something bothering her/him.

Being with oneself does not only mean brooding, sulking or avoiding people around you.  Just like spending time with a close friend makes the relationship more dependable, strong and aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, spending alone time bonds you with self – being aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. It calms you down because with oneself, you don’t have to talk to convey thoughts or convince, you just have to be there in the moment.

“Like clear and calm water allows you to see what lies in the depth, being with oneself brings you peace and reveals to you what was stealth.”

Being a parent, especially a mother, we often put ourselves last or we tend to overwork ourselves. While we might be unable to find time for bigger things (serious meditation, a solo vacation, solo travel);

but, here is a list of simple common everyday mundane activities. Also, let us count the time consumed by such small ‘Me time activities’, every day:

1. Making your bed before rushing to begin the day – 1 min
2. Preparing and having a cup of tea/coffee alone while watching sunrise/sunset/rain through your window (getting some sun boosts the mood) – 10 min
3. Reading a book before sleeping instead of Instagramming or Facebooking – 20 min
4. Walking (not driving) to the nearest grocery store with earphone plugged in (one ear unplugged obviously for traffic.) This one serves the dual purpose of physical fitness too – 15 min
5. Watching an episode of your favourite comedy show before sleeping(binge-watching is only a lockdown thing you see) – 30 min
6. Playing favourite music or humming a song while cooking, dusting or folding clothes – No extra time.
7. Looking in the mirror and smiling before leaving for work/kitchen – 3 seconds     
8. Talking your heart out with your BFF/spouse after kids have dozed off – 30 min

In addition, ‘WEEKEND TIME’ can be utilised to:

1. Re-do your nails and change your nail colour (instant pick-up) – 15 min
2. Sit and watch kids playing – 20 min
3. A morning walk while you listen to your favourite playlist – 30 min
4. Reading the Newspaper all alone while the spouse is sleeping in till late – 15 min
5. Take an afternoon nap and let things be for a while – 60 min
6. Take time to dress up and get ready for the weekend outing/Home date* – 30 min
7. Irrespective of whether you are good at it or really bad, write down your overwhelming thoughts and emotions (a must-try if you haven’t done this yet) – 15 min
8. Spending time in your home garden watering or trimming them (even if you have just 5 potted plants in your balcony) – 15 min

Even in these difficult times, amidst bundles of work and going out options being limited, spending ME Time for at least 10 min every day is required to calm your nerves. Just pick up the activity of your choice.

What do you think about it?

This is just a suggestive list of ‘Me Time Activities’; please share more ideas in comments.

*Note – Another post coming up soon on Home Date ideas – with kids, without kids and for the super busy couple. Stay Tuned.

And, I am going to try an Audiobook very soon just to check out the feel, though I love reading a physical book myself.

Happy Me Time! 🙂