I always enjoy reading before bedtime. It can be 10 minutes and sometimes stretches to more than an hour. If my wife goes to bed around the same time as me, we also chat about many things we don’t have time to discuss during the day. It is such a precious time that my wife and I share.
I often spent time alone without talking to anyone. It’s my ‘me time’. I use that time to read, think, enjoy music, and exercise. This ‘me time’ is particularly critical for young parents so they can spend time with themselves without caring for young children. When my children were young, my wife had Saturday free without kids, and I had Sunday morning free for my ocean swimming routine.
Time alone is a great chance to reflect on the past and plan for the future. The former U.S. President Obama revealed that time alone after dark was essential for his work. He used that time to review briefing documents, memos, and speech drafts, call friends, watch sports on ESPN and even play games.
I see my me time as a period of time that I can enjoy myself. I also reflect on what has happened recently around me. I think about my strategies for work and personal development. At times, I think about financial investments. My me time on Sunday morning is a routine ocean swim with my friends. Although I’m not always alone, that free time without children is when I reset for the new week. Cold ocean water resets a lot of things for me.
When I coach my clients, I often encourage them to write a reflection journal during their time alone after dark. Writing is a powerful thing because one needs to think about what to write and physically write the reflection. We only grow when we learn something new.
It’s important to note that you should not spend your me time focusing too much on the past and regretting. Learning from the past is important for our future, but lingering on the past for too much is bad. We cannot change our past, but we can influence our future. Your time alone after dark is when you think about plans for the future and ensure you are on the right track.
Do you feel that you have too many things to mind? Do you feel that you are often overwhelmed by minding those things and neglect yourself? If you have a few children and a busy job, then I believe you know what I’m talking about. Try to give yourself some me time and use it to improve your mental health, reflect on your past and change your future.
Doing a long walk in nature by yourself is a good choice. Walking physically stimulates your body and brain, and nature gives you a sense of belonging to this world. I would suggest you try this next weekend. I believe you will feel like ‘new’ after your me time. If you use ‘Ctrl-Alt-Dlt’ to reset your computer, then your ‘me time’ is the button to reset yourself.
If you feel like resonating with this blog post, feel free to reach out and let’s catch up. If you want personal growth, you need to start by knowing yourself. Your time alone after dark is a great start for knowing yourself.
Dr. C. Richard Wu @ REEAConsulting.com
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