Are You Feeling Burnt Out? Here’s Why ‘Me Time’ Is Important And How You Can Optimize Your Mental Health

Are you longing for some quality alone time to process your thoughts? Are you finding it difficult to fit ‘me time’ in your busy schedule? If yes, then you are not alone in this hustle! As a working woman life is all about juggling tasks. You have to do your work, take care of your family, pay bills and what not! Also with the surge in Covid-19 cases, women are tirelessly working- attending to sick family members, doing household chores, and office work as well. Amidst all these responsibilities, women often forget about themselves and don't carve out time for their needs and health. 

Let’s talk about the importance of ‘me time’ for women, who are stressed and overwhelmed with the burden of responsibilities.

Why you need time for self-care

Often ‘self-care’ is looked down upon as being selfish or unproductive, but that is not true at all! Self-care is essential to bring happiness and a sense of normalcy in life. Taking out time for yourself helps in keeping your sanity in place and keeps binding your world together. If you don’t take care of yourself first, you will get yourself burnt out and might find yourself struggling doing basic chores before you even know it. It’s completely normal to have private ‘me time’, irrespective of how much workload you have, your marital status, or whether you have kids or not. No matter how busy your life is, you need your personal ‘time-out’ to get a better and fresher perspective on life and to get everything sorted. When you feel refreshed, your mood tends to lift, as a result, you perform better at work and keep people around you happier as well.

Recognize the need for ‘Me Time’

The first step is to stop and take a deep breath! It is important to recognize the fact that you need a time out and the responsibility for everything doesn’t rest completely on your shoulders. You have to understand that you can’t control everything and sometimes you just need to let go and trust that everything will be okay. 

Ask yourself these simple questions to know if you are getting enough time with yourself or not-

• Are you getting enough sleep every night?
• Do you take time out for the well-being of your body and mind like exercise, yoga, or meditation? 
• Do you skip meals? Are you taking the recommended amount of nutrition?
• Do you feel fatigued and over-exhausted at the end of the day?
• What activities give you joy (reading, painting, listening to music)?
• Do you find time to sit alone during the day to process your thoughts?

These questions will help you evaluate your daily routine and will also help you in recognizing whether you are spending enough time on self-care or not. Most importantly, you don’t need to feel guilty or apologetic for prioritizing yourself. Your needs are valid and it’s OKAY to have a little quality time for yourself even when your life is very full.

What can you do to get personal time out and to optimise mental health?

Finding time for yourself, especially during a pandemic can be difficult. Palak Narang, a brand specialist says, “Things have been really tough lately, everyone in my family had symptoms, and 3 out of 5 tested positive, leaving me and my husband in the safe zone. With huge amounts of stress and no house help available, I am struggling to manage the basics- healthy meals, getting medicines, cleaning the house, the groceries, and all running around for all small things which leave no time to work. I tested negative but I am not sure if it is right to ask for a time out.”

You might also relate with this and feel guilty for asking for time-out during this grim situation, but how will you take care of others when you don’t feel good yourself? It’s as simple as that! 

Here are few simple ways to take time for yourself on your day off-

• Make sleep a priority. Get plenty of sleep, let your body and mind relax.
• Taking a long bath can help you declutter your mind
• Commit to a no-screen time. Avoid mindlessly scrolling your Instagram feed.
• Indulge in your hobbies. Read the book that has been lying on your bedside for months or take out your painting brushes and play with the colours!
• Go for a walk- spending some time outside will refresh you.
• Reconnect with nature- spend some time in your garden, watch the sunset, and the birds flying while sipping your favourite tea.
• Indulge in an online shopping spree, if that makes you happy. Declutter your wardrobe or just dress up for fun!
• Pamper yourself with skincare while watching your favourite show.
• Breathe! Devote some time for meditation and exercise.
• Lastly, enjoy whatever you are doing on your day off, don’t let the guilt take over the joy!