It sounds obvious but many of us may forget to take time for ourselves. People have all sorts of expectations for themselves and the drive to meet those can make it hard to take time.
Taking a little “me” time is an important part of managing life’s stresses.
While most of us may not enjoy feeling stressed, it’s not always a bad thing. Stress is a biological reaction to what is going on around us and it is a part of how we function.
Some stress is good, but chronic stress is not. When you begin to feel overwhelmed or burnt out, one of the best things you can do is call a timeout, step back and take a moment for yourself.
When you take time for yourself, you are really making space for yourself in your life — giving your mind and body a break and time to re-energize. It’s meant to be about you.
There is no reason to wait until you are feeling burnt out to make time for yourself a priority. Building breaks into your days can help keep stress from mounting.
Whether it is a busy day at the office, at home or life in general, take the time to step away from whatever you are doing and focus on yourself. Make it a part of your everyday schedule and don’t skip it — those breaks are just as important as any deadlines, homework, errands or other activities you have going on.
For more information on stress, stress management and how to identify stress, contact Health Link Alberta at 1-866-408-LINK (5465) or visit http://www.myhealth.alberta.ca