Make the Most of Personal Time
Work and social demands tear at us every day. In the clamor of schedules full of expectations, due dates, and bills, it can unfortunately be all too easy to let our health fall by the wayside.
One of the best actions you could take to improve your mental health, reduce stress, and enjoy life just a little more is also one of the easiest and most affordable: taking a little personal time. Close your laptop, exit your productivity app, and, for a little while, put yourself first.
When solitude serves you
If you carve a segment out of your day for solitude, you can reap many rewards. A study of over 2,000 individuals published in Frontiers in Psychology found that occasional solitude doesn’t just feel peaceful—it also enables personal growth, the development of new skills, and an overall more positive mindset. And rather than making participants feel lonely, personal time helped them gain more appreciation for their closest social connections.
Practicing solitude doesn’t have to mean sitting by yourself in a windowless room, though. The time is yours by definition, so do what you want with it. Go for a walk in nature, lie back with a book or magazine, or sketch in a notepad. Also, consider meditation; its practiced breathing and posture techniques have been shown to boost emotional health and even improve self-image.
Explore your passions
An incredibly productive approach to self-care is indulging in a hobby or field of interest. Spend a little time after work or on your off days doing whatever suits your fancy. Get back into an old hobby you used to enjoy, like painting, gardening, or woodworking. Or finally try that new thing you’ve been wanting to get into, whether it’s learning a new language or playing guitar. Remember, this time is for you, so there’s no judgment allowed. Watch an embarrassing TV show, or dance to that music you don’t want others to know you listen to. Having a guilty pleasure can be fun—and it may be the best way to decompress from your busy routine.
Make the time
Solitary self-care, like other healthy habits, may require some practice to build it into a routine. Some people resist alone time despite its benefits, protesting that socializing or doing necessary tasks like chores is a more beneficial use of their time. While these activities are certainly important, solitude is an equally vital counterweight that can help you achieve a balanced, healthy state of mind.
At first, you’ll need to be intentional about practicing personal time. Try anticipating when you’ll have at least ten minutes to yourself with no pressing responsibilities, such as during your lunch break, after your kids go to bed, or first thing in the morning.
Another key part of self-care is learning to say no to nonessential commitments that get in the way of your scheduled personal time. This can be a skill that takes work to develop as you may initially feel guilty about scheduling and honoring your personal time. But there’s no need; solitude is a productive activity that benefits your health and mindset, not a selfish indulgence.
Over time, self-care will become as routine as any other daily task. You may even begin to see the sense of calm, self-assurance, and creative discovery it fosters positively impacting your daily work and relationships.
Start journaling
While many prefer to use solitude to mentally detach from their problems, it’s also a great way to engage with the opposite type of stress relief: actively thinking about its sources. However you practice personal time, consider dedicating a few moments to checking in with yourself. Listening closely to your thoughts and determining what’s irking you or causing you stress can reveal new perspectives on different facets of your life and help you work through them.
A great way to do this is through journaling. As Talkspace therapist Bisma Anwar, LMHC, states, “Journaling is a healthy coping strategy that includes mindfulness of emotions and insight building, which can happen when we start to write down our thoughts and feelings.” Sometimes the best way to work through something is to get it out of your head, and journaling allows you to do that without necessarily having to share it with others. So give it a try—you may be surprised by what you discover.
However, you don’t necessarily need to do journaling to uncover the depths of your psyche. Feel free to make this a fun and creative activity free of specific expectations. Write down anything you like: your thoughts, whatever nonsense comes to mind, or just a recap of your day. There’s no such thing as bad journaling, as long as you commit time to it. As with all types of personal time, the only way to fail is to pass it up.