We live in a technologically advanced and interconnected world. We constantly strive to do things faster, quicker, smarter, and less costly in less time and the big question we should be asking ourselves is: At what cost? Because the very same things we are working so hard to achieve we might run out of energy to enjoy once they start costing us our health and valuable time. I remember late last year when I was completing my Postgraduate degree at Wits Business School I experienced episodes of burn out. I was feeling tired all the time. My day was always crowded with so much to do on a daily basis with no time allocated for rest. That is from waking up early in the morning, getting my daughter ready for school, driving long hours to work, helping with homework’s, attending classes in the evening, staying up late burning the midnight oil, completing assignments, preparing for presentations, reading for monthly book club meeting, attending parents meetings the list goes on. I was always rushing, experiencing time scarcity and this resulted to only getting 3–4 hours of sleep and no time to exercise. I was emotionally, physically and mentally drained.
Living a life of too much busyness exposes one to health hazards and our bodies can only take so much. I’ve come to appreciate the value of taking time off to relax, breathe and recharge. The ability to disconnect from the increasingly connected world and simply connect with your inner self and what you are feeling. We must allow ourselves the time and space to ‘Think’ instead of being lost in the world of ‘Doing’ all the time.
By intentionally making ‘Me Time’ (which I refer to mine as #SamelaTime) a priority and not something to do when you don’t have anything to do. We need to shift our mind set and stop thinking of ‘Me Time’ as a luxury and start thinking of it as a necessity a priority in our jam packed schedule. ‘Me Time’ will help you create a much calmer, happier and balanced life for yourself. Make time for what matters to you.
“Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” — M. Scott Peck
Go on take time off, slow down, listen to your heartbeat, walk in your pace and simply enjoy the gift of living. Keep Shining!!!
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Originally published at medium.com