The Hidden Benefits of Personal Time to Unlock Your Potential

Scheduling “me time” is crucial to your long-term health, well-being, and happiness.

Image by the author via Canva

Do you ever take time for yourself? How is your self-care? I needed to ask myself this question recently. At the beginning of March, I ended up in the hospital to repair an umbilical hernia. After the operation, I was in the hospital for six days. I did not watch TV, use a computer, or read books or magazines; I could only use my phone.

You see, I had gone to the emergency room because I couldn’t stop throwing up, only to find out the hernia was compromising my bowel. Because I thought I would only be there for a few hours, I didn’t take a change of underwear, a toothbrush, or a comb.

In my time in the hospital and the six weeks of recovery, I was confronted with the phrase “self-care.” Now, I had no choice but to take it easy. I couldn’t do very much of anything since I couldn’t lift anything over 10 pounds, and I needed to let my body heal.

The question I had to ask myself was, “How can I take better care of myself?” The answer, although easy, was confronting. So, I did a little research and discovered that taking “me time” is a reward and not a punishment.

In the wellness field, one topic and keyword has been increasingly prevalent in recent months: “me time.” If you’re wondering what this is, what it looks like, and why you should care about it, here is some information about taking better care of yourself.

What is “Me Time”?

As the term implies, “me time” entails taking some time out of your day to do something entirely for yourself rather than for the benefit of others. In essence, it is an opportunity to be completely selfish for a specific amount of time.

While traditional health programs often depict this as a hot bath or yoga practice, “me time” can take any form, from enjoying a coffee break to simply doing nothing. The goal is to do something completely for oneself.