It sounds selfish, doesn’t it? But honestly, it’s about time
that I started putting myself first. I’m a mum of three, a wife and a pet owner
who works from home so having any time to myself is a rarity.
It wasn’t that long ago that I was working all day and late
into the night too and although I didn’t see it at the time it was having a huge
impact on my life. I decided in January that I needed to make some changes and
ensure that I had more time for myself and the things that I like to do. We are now
9 months on and although I have expanded my work significantly, I can say that
I have successfully made more time for myself and I’m loving it.
I love to read and found that making time to read before
meant that I was staying up later and later to try and wind down and read my
book. Now I am in bed between 9 and 10pm and read for an hour or two. I find it
helps relax me and ready for sleeping earlier on a night.
I’ve mentioned before that we love to play computer games and we are
not alone as gaming is one of the most popular hobbies for both children and
adults. I admit that I am a Call of Duty fan (you can thank the husband for
that one) and we often spend our evenings playing together.
When I used to sit at my computer for work, I would be sat
for long periods of time working without a break. Now I try to take breaks at least
once an hour, sometimes they’re short breaks other times they are 15 minutes
or longer depending on what I am doing. I get up and make a cup of tea, a trip
to the toilet or do something around the house – put the washing on, hang the
washing on the line, give the kitchen or bathroom a quick clean.
If I am eating my lunch at my desk I often sit and play a game
either on my phone – Candy Crush Saga is still a firm favourite, on my iPad if
I want to play Simpsons Tapped Out or Township (I’ve been playing too long to
give it up) or a game on my computer. I love
playing Solitaire as it’s a game that is easy to play and can be played and
finished quite quickly. Another game I like to play is Mahjong. This takes me a
little longer to play so I don’t play it if I’m only having a quick break.
Baking is my favourite hobby and I do not get enough time to
do this – I don’t have enough ovens either. When I win the lottery I’m buying a
house that has multiple ovens. I’m not the best baker in the world but the
kids love my creations and I’m always happy to give a recipe a try. The Cherry Jammy Dodgers I made a few weeks ago were a great hit with everyone. This year I
plan to make my own Christmas cake (I’ve never tried it before) and hoping that
my mother in laws recipe will taste just as good as her cakes taste when I try
it.
What do you do to ensure you get some needed me-time?
*This is a collaborative post*
