Taking Some 'Me' Time is a Great Coping Skill for Life

Everyone has a schedule that they follow every day. The schedule may include classes, a job, and the kids' soccer game, cooking dinner, doing laundry or other household chores. While these are accepted as just part of a routine, the monotony of the day can cause us to become tired, and lose some of our ability to concentrate. Staying constantly on the go can also cause us to become snippy with our friends, family, and co-workers. When tensions begin to mount, and you reach the breaking point, it's time for some "me time"

Taking time for yourself, or "me time" has some great benefits. First, it's a chance for you to enjoy our other interests that your friends, co-workers, and family might not enjoy. Having friends and family with common interests is what we all strive for in our friendships and relationships, but, every friendship and relationship needs room to breathe.

Taking time for yourself is also one of the best ways to relieve stress. By not having to worry about getting homework done, not trying to balance the checkbook, not having to do laundry and other life chores, we can take some time to do something fun such as reading a book, going fishing, or going on a short day trip. Studies have shown that taking even a few minutes time to yourself every couple days or even taking at least one day a week just for yourself can help you to become more alert, more productive, and can even improve your mood.

Me time can also be socially rewarding. If you're like me, you have a small circle of friends who you see nearly every day or talk to on the phone nearly every day. While we cherish our friendships, the routine of asking about each others' day, learning the new day's gossip, and just general chit chat can sometimes overwhelm us. Every so often, its good to go for a day or even a couple days without contacting your friends. When you do call your friends, its good to start the cycle all over again by sharing the newest gossip, the latest news, and general chit chat. This helps to keep friendships strong, and also gives people some breathing room.