Lots we can do to give time to ourselves
I attended a Zoom talk yesterday and the main message by the speaker was: ‘ the importance of giving time to yourself ’.
This is not a new thought but a timely reminder for me. After the call, I spent 7 hours driving alone so had plenty of time to think it through.
So often we think of giving time to ourselves as doing a bit of exercise – or cooking healthy food, or even enjoying some kind of self-pampering – even spending time with family or friends–and or generally doing something that is good for us mentally, physically or emotionally.
And yes – we have a mind and body. But we also have a heart and soul. And each aspect of us needs different food, care and nourishment.
The mind works best when it has the right balance of positive thoughts (more than 3:1
positive to negative and ideally + 5:1) regular learning and is focussed on the present.
A mind that spends too much time in the past, future or analysing or thinking negatively is not productive or happy. To perform at its best, the body needs proper exercise, food (including water), relaxation, sleep and good breathing habits. The soul needs purpose and connection to something bigger than itself – nature, God, humanity, people. The heart needs love, laughter and joy.
Most of us are very good at giving time to others – family, children, parents, friends, colleagues etc. But we are not always so good at giving time to ourselves – to ensure we are really meeting all of our needs and making the best choices according to the current context at all levels.
COVID has challenged us in many ways. It has pushed us to rethink our lives and understand what is truly important. Lockdown and current restrictions have challenged us to live differently. Sitting in a different place has naturally enabled us to see things differently.
And a natural part of that is that our values have changed. As our values change, it is necessary to rethink things. Some parts of life may need to be reworked. I spoke with two people that live alone this weekend who are struggling to find joy.
Their jobs expose them to people, so they are cautious and are limiting themselves in terms of who they spend time with outside of work. As a result, they are feeling more lonely and less joy. They are now trying to find new ways of experiencing the joy of spending time with friends in different ways. It was through spending time with themselves they understood this.
For my own part, I have realised I need to give myself things to look forward to.
Before I was someone that always looked forward to travel. I have lived and worked in 4 continents and love travel and seeing different countries and cultures. Now that my wings have been clipped like all of us, I am starting to plan shorter trips that are achievable in these times of restrictions but ultimately meet the same need.
There are lots of things we can do to give time to ourselves in the deepest sense. Sitting and doing nothing is a good start. See what comes up. If there is a vacuum, fill it with something good for your heart and soul.
Calodagh McCumiskey is an accredited thought leader in wellbeing. She works with companies and individuals. For more information, visit: www.spiritualearth.com or contact: info@spiritualearth.com 0871 335230 ‘Let’s grow together’.