"Amey! You should take out time for yourself for a change!" , "Amey! You should just chill out!"
These are very common phrases I get to hear on a daily basis. To all the people who tell me this, I know your intention behind it and I am grateful! But.....
The reason I don't listen to you is not that I am a workaholic but I never knew what me-time was. Whenever I asked what I exactly need to do, I got solutions like:
You should watch a movie (Nobody watches more moves in a week than me XD)
You should watch a TV show (Same)
You should just do nothing! (This advice I really don't get)
Sleep! (I don't like to sleep when there is daylight)
You see my problem here? I am not able to find me time because I don't know what me-time is for me! I find watching TV shows a mentally tiring activity. And doing nothing is just weird for me. I always think me-time activity would be something that I enjoy and also I'll feel refreshed when I am done with it. Call me weird but I don't like sleeping during the day.
I didn't know what my me-time activity was, but I knew I needed one because taking breaks is an important part of productivity! I was in a lot of confusion until I dug deeper and realized the answer was with me all along!
My Experience
It was a gloomy afternoon, I had just finished a work-related task. I had two more on my to-do list. I had a sense of accomplishment for finishing the first one but I wasn't ready to go on the next one. I was feeling that something was missing. I had started working early in the morning so I hadn't done any of my morning routine stuff like exercise and journaling and reading.
These are the activities I do as a part of my lifestyle. These usually take around 2 and a half hours of my day. So I decided to write my journal before I get on with the next task. As soon as I finished writing I felt energized and I started working on the second task.
For the time I was writing my journal or reading or working out I was completely disconnected from the world. Those are the times when I get to actually connect with myself. With a weird Eureka moment, I was like, "Damnnnn!! These are my me-time activities!"
Lessons
I am sure many people might go through this confusion of what is exactly their "me-time" activity. From my experience, I would say it's an activity that you enjoy doing and it is not really dependent on anyone else. After you are done with the activity you should feel relaxed and satisfied with yourself. This is the time you completely disconnect yourself from the world and connect with yourself. Keeping all the worries and problems aside for some time.
For me, it's reading and journaling, for you it might be listening to songs, writing poetry, dancing, etc. You are probably doing your me-time activity but not realizing it to be one. That's what my case was.
This was a small but truly life-changing experience for me. If you are a creator like me or any professional or even a student, you need a good me-time activity. If you already have a me-time activity I would love to know about it in the comments! I hope this blog helped you in some way!
See you all next week!