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Saturday, October 24 is Take Back Your Time Day. What’s that, you say? An opportunity to reflect on your own time crunch and the general “time famine” that pervades our culture, and a chance to do something about it. This year’s theme is Chill Out! because, as the Take Back Your Time web site says, “We believe Americans (and Canadians) need to chill out by reducing working hours and unnecessary consumption, thereby at the same time helping to cool the climate of the planet.”
As this blog is in large part about making time for yourself, I invite you to think about how you might devote some quality time for yourself this weekend and on an ongoing basis.
What is one thing you have been meaning to do for yourself but that you’ve been putting off, maybe because it feels “selfish,” “unproductive,” or that you don’t yet deserve it? Can you examine these areas of resistance to being kind to yourself, label them as “just thoughts,” and give them less weight in your life? Are you really selfish if you take a 30-minute walk each day, for example, or is that just a part of the story you tell yourself?
Have you considered that making more space for some of your true interests and longings might free up energy to devote to those other things you need, or want, to do? Taking personal breaks can help us re-energize and feel more centered during our errands, caregiving, and other “must-do” activities. Similarly, if you care about helping the planet (or other people, animals, etc.), consider helping yourself to some breathing room first…if you’re continuously rushing around, you’ll have no energy (or time) for making planet-friendly changes in your lifestyle or community.
Here are some very simple, yet very meaningful, Take Back Your Time Day ideas:
- If you enjoy cooking at all, prepare and eat a meal at home with your kids, a friend, or by yourself. (And please don’t skimp if you’re alone…you deserve a wonderful home-cooked meal regardless of your relationship status.)
- Take a long bath.
- Take a walk.
- Do a household chore slowly, allowing yourself to appreciate and feel gratitude for the opportunity to have a home to clean (or wash your car by hand, enjoying the fresh air, or do some gardening if you have a patio or backyard garden).
- Enjoy a lingering conversation with an old (or new) friend.
- Pick up, and take time to read, a book that’s been calling to you for a while.
- Sit down in a cozy place, and make a list of the things you’d like to do that would truly feed your soul. Then make a plan for how you’ll do at least some of them in the next month or two.
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Sometimes taking back my time means making some hard choices and actually choosing not to do something that would be really fun and that I would enjoy. There are so many fun and interesting things to do! But sometimes it is important for me to choose to not do the fun or interesting event, but instead reserve that time for myself to have as down time, time to work, or time to get organized or even to do laundry! In the end, sometimes saying “no,” helps me to feel more peaceful and less scattered.