Are you feeling overly stressed and can’t seem to get off the proverbial gerbil wheel?

Do you find yourself overwhelmed and tired by the middle of the day?

Then maybe you need some good, old-fashioned “Me Time”.

At our age, we have earned it and should not feel guilty. 

How Can You Find Time in Your Schedule for “Me Time”?

While there are no right or wrong ways to schedule in some “Me Time” there certainly are ways you can free up time to become Me Time.

You can:

• Learn to say no.
• Learn when to break.
• Learn to walk it out.
• Learn to reorganize.
• Learn to reprioritize.

While many of us find it difficult to say “no” to the many demands made on us, we can learn to decipher which opportunities to participate in and which to decline. It is equally important to learn when to take a break as it is when to reorganize your daily routine.

Henry David Thoreau, Thomas Jefferson, and Ernest Hemmingway all recognized the importance of walking to clear your mind. Thomas Jefferson recognized long walks as a way to focus on your surroundings and stop thinking about yourself or stop thinking about anything for that matter.

Speaking of walking, psychologists are beginning to recognize the importance of walking in light of mental health. “It’s become clear that this is a good intervention, particularly for mild to moderate depression,” said Jasper Smits, a psychologist at Southern Methodist University as cited in the Huffington Post, August 29, 2013 issue.

Why Would Anyone Need Me Time?

What makes you think they wouldn’t?  Me Time is nothing less than good self-care, and when you are a one-person freelancer or worker, you have to take care of yourself.  Because without you, there is business.

Me Time is needed to:

• Destress and bring stress levels down to more controllable levels.
• Regroup and listen to your inner self and needs.
• Stop working and re-energize.

Is Me Time the Same as Non-Billable Time?

Absolutely not! While Me Time is not billable time, it is still important. We need to realize that folding clothes and paying bills is not the same as Me Time. Me Time was meant to de-stress and relax and do nothing. Not to be engaging in work that is nonpaid then feeling guilty.

Me Time is all about tuning into yourself and regrouping your thoughts. Letting your eyes, mind, and body relax.

How Can Me Time Help Me Become a More Efficient Me?

Because you are allowing yourself to stop working and to be quiet for a few minutes, you are allowing your mind to rest and rejuvenate. This will help you solve any upcoming issues or problems.

All of us need to refill our creative tanks and minds.  Use it as a way to get in touch with your inner-self and inner-greatness then awaiting for a new season of life and waiting for new marching orders.

I even wrote an article once about how time off can make you richer.

When Does Me Time Need to Become a Sabbatical?

While I have also written about taking a Sabbatical, there has always been a concept for that.  The concept of a sabbatical is mentioned in The Bible as a way to build rejuvenation and rest into a weekly routine. Nowadays it is used by teachers or really anyone wanting time away from work to do research, to think or to reach a goal.

Anastacia Brice, virtual assistant trainer and owner of AssistU.com, takes a yearly sabbatical to clear her head and to think about where she wants to take her business next year. Her sabbaticals can last up to two months.

When Does Me Time Need to Turn into R & R (Rest and Recuperation)?

Me Time really doesn’t need to become R & R, but for those who really feel they need to get away–do so! It is better to get away than never get away and become mundane and stuck. Recently, The Huffington Post has been publishing articles on how to have a “Serenity Saturday” with many articles dedicated to how to relax and unwind. Those of you using AOL.com as your email or ISP will know what I am talking about.

When Can Me Time Begin?

Really, only you can decide that. It really should begin as soon as possible. Tomorrow’s 15-minute coffee break or 20-minute walk or workout can become a daily source of Me Time. However, make sure you schedule it on your calendar as urgently and consistently as you would schedule any client work.

My Coaching Two Cents’ Worth

Then allow for Me Time to show you the new season of your life or new business idea. You only have to be available to listen!  When you are taking it, how does it “speak” to you?  What are you de-stressing from? 

Just as importantly, what are you gravitating towards?   Is it a hobby, a sport, or an interest?  Would this be something that you would like to do?  Do you believe that you could make money doing it?  Or would it then become stressful if you had to use it to create an independent livelihood?  Learn to get quiet for about 15 minutes a day and see what comes to mind in your search for your true calling.  The Calm app and website have many good articles on the benefits of silence.  

Even if you can’t see the full path, as Martin Luther King Jr. explained, “faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”