A lot of people, especially busy parents, find it hard to switch off and relax. But doing so is vital to everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing. We all need to take a break and take care of our own needs from time to time, lest we burn out and be of no use to anyone, least of all ourselves.
One huge problem is that many people have simply forgotten how to relax in day to day life. Yes, they can relax and let go when they’re on holiday, but in normal life they don’t even know where to begin. That’s why we need to bring the concept of the “Me-Day” back into busy modern life.
A Me-Day, as you might expect, is a day when you take time out to focus on your needs and your needs alone. If that sounds good, but you don’t know where to begin, here are our top tips to having a successful, health-boosting Me-Day any day you choose…
Plan and schedule it
If you don’t plan and schedule your Me-Day it’s highly likely that things will go awry and you’ll end up doing a million other things that aren’t remotely relaxing to you. So, pick a day, notify the family that you’ll be taking some time for self-care and plan a bunch of activities that will help you to relax and enjoy life. This could be indulging in online games like bingo, reading a good book or getting your nails done. Really nail down you’re itinerary and stick to it!
Take things slow
That being said, you want your Me-Day to be as relaxing as possible, so try not to overschedule yourself, and leave some time in the itinerary to just be. The aim is to relax and really enjoy yourself, which will be hard when it feels like you have a million “relaxing” activities to fit in – they will become anything but. When it comes you your Me-Day, it really is all about quality over quantity.
Do some stretches
When you get up on the morning of your Me-Day – at a leisurely pace – you should take some time to stretch and really appreciate the sensations of your body as best you can. Not only does this feel very satisfying, but it helps you work out any kinks so you can start your day as comfortably and slowly as possible.
Meditate
Even if you’ve never done it before, you might also want to think about taking some time to meditate on your Me-Day. Meditation is one of the best forms of self-care there is. It has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety amongst other things. When you incorporate it into your Me-Day, it will help you to find more peace and centring. If you keep it up, it will improve your life in more ways than you can imagine.
Do some journaling
Why? Because writing down your feelings is a great way to process them. It can help you come to terms with and move on from difficult feelings. But it is so hard to find time to do it in day-to-day life. So your Me-Day is the perfect time to…well do some work on yourself.
Spend some time outside
Spending time in nature has been shown to lower stress levels and boost general health. It is a really good idea to take a leisurely walk or explore a local beauty sport on your Me-Day for at least some of the time. Sit and take in the smells of sweet-smelling flowers. These contain high levels of terpenes, with some plants having up to 200 different types. Terpenes are used to attract pollinators, ward off predators, and they even use them to help heal.
If being active isn’t exactly your kind of fun, then at least open a window to get some fresh air. Or sit in the garden for a little while, weather permitting – it really will do you the world of good.
Say No
It might be your Me-Day, but chances are the family will still bug you to help them out with various issues they are having. Unless it’s something life-threatening or something that they absolutely cannot do themselves, say no. They will survive, and maybe learn how to better take care of themselves so you can have a break more often. More importantly, they will learn from you the importance of taking time out to relax and focus on your own health, which really is invaluable.
Me-Days are so important for your mental health, so be sure to make more time for them, even if you have a really busy schedule because you’re worth it!
