We all know it’s important to take time that’s just for us, to recharge, to remember who we are, to have a teensy break from our 24/7 work schedules.
Some ideas:
1. I go to desert and late night movies in the middle of the week with my girlfriends. We go after the kids are in bed so we can be crazy, eat fattening food, watch movies our husbands wouldn’t be caught dead seeing and relive those carefree high school days of girl bonding.
2. I take long hot baths. I fill the tub as hot as I can stand it, bring in a good book or a magazine, light some candles and soak until my husband feels the need to come in and check my pulse.
3. Early morning walks with a friend are wonderful once we’re up and out. We breathe in the fresh air, talk about the joys and frustrations of our lives, meet interesting people and start the day with a bang.
4. Teaching piano — I teach one student once a week while her sweet mother plays with my kids. (They pay me a fairly low amount, so it’s not about the money, and should probably pay me nothing considering the free babysitting I’m getting out of it.) I love to teach and I consider this “me time.”
5. Book Club – reading the book, discussing online, meeting with friends once a month. Love it, love it love it.
What activities are important to you when you have a few minutes or a few hours all to yourself?
Why do you take this time?
How do you make it work with your family’s busy schedules?
I do the early morning walk —
but let us all keep in mind that I am alone in my house all day.
I have “me time” up the yingyang.
oh – and I have payday loans and cash advances too.
My friends and I enjoy the late night thing too. We often get together to sew, I know, it sounds like old lady stuff. But it’s fun and we help each other since we’re all at different skill levels. We also eat a lot. And drink lots of coffee. And laugh. And then laugh some more.
You are priceless-a very, very good writer.
I know what you mean about the comments-my refrain after I get the “Why?” is “Because I’m mean. And cruel. And I don’t like fourth graders.”
Mike
What I do for me?….
I blog.
No, no, let me think about this one. Oh yeah, sometimes on Saturdays I tell the hub that I just need me time and I go to all the cutesy shops that I would never dream of taking the children in. That’s always kind of fun.
Oh yeah, and I have a couple of at home businesses too. They aren’t going well monetarily, but they are heaps of fun.
Oo, I thought of another one. When I grocery shop alone in the evenings I pick the longest, slowest check out line and indulge myself in cheesy gossip magazines. What’s the rush, eh?
I like to go to (gasp) a tanning bed. Laying down with warn “sun” on your body. The quiet whir of the fan. Nobody can get to you in your own little room. Those precious 20 minutes are just what you need sometimes.
I do yoga twice a month from a friend who offers the class to a few of us for free. Its wonderful!
I also put my daughter to bed really early (she sleeps 6pm-6am) so it frees up my evenings.
Being at work is me time. Sad but true…
I also like reading, writing, long hot baths, thinking and the odd burst of solitude (i.e. going to bed early to think, feels luxurious). And I love going shopping on my own. Going out with girlfriends (most of them are single and childless) to drink too much wine, behave badly and cackle like witches.
Yes, Brooke, I did gasp.
Is it just me or does anyone else think “michael” is a spam-bot or something?
These are great little windows into everybody’s lives and great suggestions too.
I like Karen’s comment about grocery shopping slowly. Our local grocer has a “kid zone” and I drop off Laylee, Magoo falls asleep in the cart and I walk VEEERRRYYYY slowly. It’s wonderful.
Hey, there’s another Brooke! Hi, Brooke, I’m…Brooke.
Alone time? I’m a night owl, and we’ve always made it a priority to put our kids to bed early. That really helps.
And nothing recharges me like going to the library. I don’t have time to read all those books, but I like to just sit and look at them and smell them. Yes, smell them.
definitely make the most of naptime, and I don’t alsays mean working. Napping yourself, reading, showering, etc. Also, let your husband take the kiddos with him to some of his places, and you take time for you.
I really like your blog and will read it again.
To make time for myself I go to the grocery store late at night and stand in the book aisle and read a whole book or a magazine.