I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere along the way, morning quiet became my favorite part of the day. It became my time.
I think it started back when all the kids were in school. After the chaos and noise of getting everyone out the door I learned to relish the quiet of the house when I returned. It was early enough in the day that nobody called, the hustle and bustle of the world hadn’t been fully awakened, and the sun was just starting its path through the sky.
Though there are no longer kids to get off to school, this is still my favorite time of the day, the period between sitting down with that first cup of coffee and before you have to start being productive.
During this small window, which the time varies depending on the day of the week and the agenda of the family, I can sip coffee, watch birds, play with cats, watch a show, and, if I have a lot of time, write. This is the time where all my focus is on me and I procrastinate on being a “responsible” adult. I need this time. Without it, the day just feels rushed, chaotic, and even overwhelming. As I enter that wonderful phase called perimenopause and empty-nester, having “me time” has become critical to my emotional well-being. Whether male or female, or whatever age and stage of life you are in, you need a small part of the day to claim as your own.
You may not need this morning “me time” as I do, but I bet you do have a time of day that you claim all your own. Perhaps its the commute to and from work – you can listen to a book, sing along with your favorite songs, or just enjoy the silence after a busy day. I know that when I was working at Walmart, I valued that quiet time in my car as I commuted home. It helped me transition from work mode to family mode. Or perhaps you are an evening person, unwinding from the long day of “adulting” by playing a video game, surfing through a social media feed, watching a baking show, or reading a book . Whatever the routine is, you step away for a little bit from the chaos and noise of life to find calm and quiet within yourself.
Meditation may not always be sitting with your eyes closed and listening to your breath. It’s emptying your mind, releasing the stress and burdens of life for a short time so you can feel balanced and whole again. Taking a walk, working out, gardening, mindless activities….they all help decompress all that pent up energy and negativity to allow us to keep going in a more positive manner.
I’m not sure what happens as we age, but it seems we start taking life far too serious and we forget to just let go and have fun on the journey. Allowing yourself to have “me time” may help with putting joy and whimsy back into your life. I’m thinking it’s worth a try anyhow. Let go of the weight of the world, the responsibilities of life, and remember what it was like to be young and carefree and we smiled because simple things like a popsicle on a summer day was AMAZING! Find that joy again, that pleasure in just being, and you were in awe of the world. Give yourself permission to enjoy not being productive, of not being in control, and have peace in simply doing something because you want to. Take time to look at the things around you, not critique it, but marvel at it….the budding of flowers, the song of the bird, a cats purr, or the heartbeat of the person lying next to you. Perhaps if we can have just a bit of that youthful vision back, our backs wont ache so much with the weight of the world.
What is your favorite time of day? How do you you find time for yourself and balance? Share your story in the comments and help inspire me and others who are searching for ways to reconnect with the whimsical side of life.
~Pax tibi
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