Alone time

I think spending time alone is nice. I especially like spending time alone when it rains, which it is apparently going to do for the next week here in CO. 

Not everyone agrees, but when you are constantly bombarded by bosses, friends, coworkers, children, spouses, and even people at the grocery store, the last thing you want to do is be around other people. 

Spending time by yourself is a blessing.  Even 5 minutes without others can be beneficial for our health and self-care. Be selfish with your time with yourself.  If possible, block out time on your shared calendar at work, or at home, where other people can see it. You don’t have to label it anything, just show yourself as unavailable. 

I like to eat lunch by myself or take a hot bath with salts at night.  My spouse knows that if the door shuts and a bath is running: I need some alone time.  Most times I either journal or read a book for pleasure.  Use your personal time for things that bring you pleasure.  Drink that extra cup of coffee, read that smutty novel, do half an hour of yoga- and don’t you dare be sorry for it!  The kids will still be hungry, your spouse will still tell you about their day, and your boss will still have comments for you about that project, but those things can wait until your alone time is over. 

Research has shown that:

People who went out with others had just as much fun as people who took themselves out on a date.

So go take yourself on a date!  You’ll have fun.   You’ll get to have and do whatever you want without having to please anyone but yourself.  And that is a NICE thing. 

We’ll talk more about ways to date yourself tomorrow :)