The Importance of ''Me Time''

Every day a new to-do list is created. Tasks are tirelessly worked on. You give your best to reduce the number. You mustn't lose track of the time or, my god, forget a task. At some point this goes so far that you have a to-do list for everything. Even for your hobbies. You plan on which days you should go for a jog, and oh look here is time to write that one prompt, but while doing so don't forget that you need to correct that story until next week ... Oh, and look there are ten minutes free in which you can go to the bog. Brilliant! 

Everything becomes a task. Everything needs to be done. Very soon even the most joyful hobby feels like a burden. If you didn't manage it on time, you're a failure. "At least I made it now," becomes the excuse when you manage to catch up with your hobby. Something that you're not paid to do. The world is not going to end when you miss a deadline. And yet, here we are. The next day, the sun carefully creeps above the hills, and so a new to-do list greets you. Sigh.

Usually, I take a lot of comfort in my hobbies. However, even when I turned to something nice and easy, my brain was just floating along with the rest of my body. I couldn't use another self-inflicted deadline. I should not be wondering if I am suddenly going to lose everyone of my followers if I don't post this week. And oh, deary me, did those trousers always looks so wide on me?!

Last weekend I simply decided not to bother anymore. I had worked two whole days on the new theme, I had worked double shifts, and I had been social - which sounds fun, but not so much after working double shifts. I was tired. I could not find a flicker of motivation to correct the olde prompts. I could not care less if I should create a little bit of art. I did not find the energy to think about a topic for this blog. Neither did I find the distant piece of creativity that would help me punch an idea into strings of sentences that people might want to read.

Instead of munching through tasks, I decided that I needed "me time." Time in which I won't bother about what I have to do. No plan, no lists just doing what I tickled my fancy.

For whatever reason I quite fancied a jog on Saturday morning; so I went for a jog. I considered snacking snips, so I did. I wondered if I could watch a documentary about planes. Since there was one on, I could. In the afternoon I decided to continue reading a book. At least until I got bored. So I left the last thirty pages for another day. This weekend it would be irrelevant when I had planned to finish it. I sipped on fancy tea, put on my favourite cat socks, chatted with friends, took a nap, and petted the cat.

Before I knew it, I was feeling better. Creativity returned! I drew the stickmen that I wanted to draw and I found joy in words again. Suddenly there was inspiration half an hour before bed time. Usually, I'd be sensible, tell myself that I have to work tomorrow, and I won't forget it. Instead I did not bother with sense, I thought to myself "it is Me Time, we'll do what we want to do." And writing this post down was what I wanted to do - so I did.

Me Time is incredibly important. The next time you feel drained, empty, lack any sort of imagination and suddenly all the things that brought you joy feel like work: lean back, make yourself a comforting cup of tea. Forget about having to do this and that, nobody is going to judge you if today you can't meet with friends, or if that painting is going to take a day longer, or if you order take-away instead of cooking today ...

Before you know it, your hobbies are going to be fun again, silly jokes start being funny instead of being annoying. Most importantly your energy bar are going to be brimmed!