10 Must-Try “Me Time” Activities

I know, I know… so much to do, so little time… but “Me Time” is as essential to your wellbeing as breathing. If you’re chronically tired, easily upset, feeling overwhelmed, gaining weight, sleepless and resentful… you NEED more Me Time.

Me Time is any period of time that you devote exclusively to yourself. No chores, responsibilities, work, kids, spouse, friends… just you, doing something you enjoy – or, doing absolutely nothing. Even if you’re as productive as a machine, EVERY machine needs to be shut down periodically for repairs and maintenance. Don’t wait until things go wrong to start taking care of your energy needs – start today, with a scheduled block of Me Time!

If you have trouble allowing yourself to take Me Time, then plan it! Work it into your schedule as a non-negotiable time block, however long or short it may be.

Here are some worth-it Me Time activities (and non-activities) for you to enjoy and recharge your batteries so you can enjoy life and perform at your peak levels – and, help you prioritize what’s really meaningful in life:

1. Move

Take a hike! Ride your bike! Move your body! Walking, alone, in Nature, restores the spirit. You don’t have to go far, or on some epic hike in the wilderness. Even a stroll around the neighborhood will do you good! If you want, run. Or ride your bike. Or go for a swim… any solitary activity to move your body and clear your mind.

2. A long shower

(Assuming no water restrictions where you live). Once in a while, you need to splurge on a little excess water consumption to feel the hot, soothing water flowing all around you.

3. Meditate.

This can include yoga, Tai Chi and other moving meditation. In addition to unplugging for the outside world, it’s good to unplug from your mental chatter and nothing does this better than meditation.

4. Putter on a project.

Isn’t there some little project that you started a long time ago that’s still sitting half-finished in a forgotten dusty corner? Do you realize how satisfied you will feel when you finally finish it? If you spend a mere 15 minutes a day on it, it will be done in no time. While this isn’t exactly what you may be thinking about regarding “ME” time, you ARE doing this for you – getting it out of your hair, and done, forever.

5. Nap.

If you’re exhausted, a nap will energize you if you keep it short – no more than 10-20 minutes (anything more and you’ll really need to finish that 90-minute sleep cycle, or spend time all groggy and disoriented until the sleep cycle is complete).

6. Read.

Read anything that takes you away from your worries and the day-to-day. Romance, adventure, biography, historical novels, travel books… make reading a mental escape! Reading a personal development book or anything that inspires you is a great way to make Me Time productive without it feeling like being productive.

7. ALL day.

Once a month, take a Me Day. All day. 24 hours of It’s-All-About-Me, without guilt!

8. Practice a skill.

They say it takes 10,000 hours to master something. That’s 5 years. Depending on the skill, it could be less, or significantly more. What if you practiced your skill for 15-30 minutes a day? That’s going to add up fast – much faster than if you only spent a few hours on the weekend, because keeping a skill fresh and “top of mind” is more effective than occasional practice.

9. Step AWAY from your electronics.

All of them. Especially the phone. Can you do this for an hour? A day? A weekend? Think about it: why is it that you feel obligated to be available at all times? Don’t you deserve to put up a Do Not Disturb sign occasionally?

10. Get away.

You don’t have to go far – you can hide out in a museum, church, book store, cafe, the woods, on a riverbank, a pedestrian mall in a nearby town… just get out of the places you routinely spend your time in. See something unfamiliar that will stimulate – or soothe – your senses, depending on your mood.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you unplug completely from the work, people, projects and responsibilities that have you “on call” all day long. You intuitively know what recharges you so do it!

And don’t feel in the slightest bit guilty about it!