Make Time for ‘Me Time’
Feeling low on energy, a little drained, and like your battery needs charging? Katrina Thorpe shares the magic of ‘me time’.
Sometimes we all need to escape – to recharge our bodies and calm our busy minds to feel rejuvenated. We’ve just come out of summer, which can be a very busy ‘people’ period, with plenty of functions, gatherings and socialising. With lots of different personalities, energies and opinions surrounding you, your energy can be drained without you realising it – as I say, we can get ‘peopled out.’
If you don’t look after yourself, you can’t function at full capacity, work to your best ability, or care for those you love, let alone yourself. This is particularly evident if you are a mother, a carer, or if your work includes dedicating your time, mind and energy to others. While it can be very rewarding to be a caring and nurturing person, it’s important that you also spend some time looking after yourself – and that’s where ‘me time’ comes in. Sometimes you might feel like you need to sleep for a week to restore your energy, calm your mind and restore your equilibrium. That would be nice but it’s not always possible so here are some other ideas for ‘me time’ that will allow your body and mind to recharge:
FOCUS ON YOUR SENSES
Something as simple as going for a walk in nature will connect your body to the earth to help you feel more grounded – even better if you walk barefoot on the sand or grass. Spending time in the ocean, swimming pool or even taking a bath can work wonders for helping you feel more refreshed and energised. If you feel overwhelmed, drained and tired or have aching muscles and you need help to relax, you should book a massage or therapeutic body treatment where someone else is caring for you. Allow your senses to be directed to touch and aroma, add healing music to immerse yourself into a calming space.
BOOK A BEAUTY TREATMENT
Being tired can affect how we see ourselves when we look in the mirror, but there are plenty of ways to put a pep in your step. A hairdresser can work wonders with self-confidence and how you see yourself, and most cosmetic studios offer free consultations, as do makeup stores, salons and day spas. You might find having a facial offers better relaxation than a massage, especially ones that include a facial massage, which helps soothe both your skin and your mind.
CREATE YOUR OWN HAVEN
Create a special space in your home to be creative, rest, relax, exercise, read or meditate. This is especially handy for restoring your energy with ‘me time’ on the days you need to be home with children or for work – even 10 minutes in this space can have a soothing effect.
LET GO OF GUILT
Guilt is a wasted emotion, yet we all take it on when it comes to allocating some ‘me time’. But taking care of yourself is just like caring for your car – if you don’t top up its fuel or recharge its power, you won’t travel very far. Maintaining yourself is far better than trying to fix yourself, because that can be a lot harder – and dearer to achieve. I am guilty of this and the reason I wanted to share some ideas for ‘me time’ is because I was fast approaching the ‘fix it’ stage.
I recommend writing a list of all the things you can let go of or outsource to free up time for yourself. Therefore, after 10 years of enjoying writing for IN Noosa Magazine, this will be my last contribution while I focus on my own ‘me time’ including travel and spending more time with my husband. Thank you for engaging with my stories every edition and for your positive feedback.
Time for some ‘me time’!
Katrina x
Ed’s note: Thanks Katrina, we have loved having you as part of our team and wish you the best in your quest for more balance.
See you soon xx
