In the midst of our busy lives, it is not always possible to get away for a break with a loved one or take time out to be with friends, or even have half an hour on one's own. However, it is important to regularly set aside time to be quiet and maybe do nothing. It really recharges one's batteries and enables one to return back to life feeling much more invigorated than before.

It has been proven in the work environment, that employees who take two or three regular breaks in the day perform better than those who keep on powering throughout without stopping for lunch or a ten-minute rest. Even training courses are now geared to provide thirty or forty-minute bite-size sessions that stop and then restart in a different format. After a forty-minute intensive session, peoples' concentration starts to flag and any benefits become reduced.

Over time, people often become consumed by their various roles in life, as a parent, partner, worker, boss. It is easy to become absorbed by our public or most high profile identity. Many people have several areas in their lives where they are not referred to by their own name, but as somebodys' mother, father, teacher, boss, husband, or wife. Within several of these roles, it can become all too easy to forget who we really are because of the demands upon us. We work hard to maintain those different identities. We want to be a good partner, parent, or employee. These roles bring their own satisfaction and help us define our value and sense of worth as a person and as a member of society. However, it is important from time to time, to stop and remind ourselves who we really are, behind the public persona.

So, for many reasons, it is important to take time out from regular life and stop and have a breather, a break, some 'me time, 'taking time to do something that I want to do'. This may be done in several ways, perhaps by finding a hobby or interest that motivates us. Learning something creative like how to paint or sculpt or do handicrafts maybe something special to do for its own sake. Cooking can be therapeutic if done for the right reasons. For other people, it might be learning to play a musical instrument or dance or theatre skills.

Some people might want something completely untaxing, like reading a book or taking a lovely long bath with candles and soft music playing or taking a walk on their own with no dog or children demanding attention. Even half an hour spent in this way can provide a valuable interlude of space and quiet time.

Nature is a lovely place to take some private time out. Some people cultivate a garden, others find a place in the countryside or a time of day when few people are around. Some people who have no physical access to a place in nature can learn to use self-hypnosis or meditation techniques to create a lovely place in their minds to visit, maybe a garden or a beach or woodland. With practice, it is possible to really experience that place, the sounds of the birds, the rustling of the leaves, the feel of the breeze on one's skin, the various smells. Then as the skill is developed, that place can be revisited at will, whenever a timeout period is required.

Many people use regular meditation, often once or twice a day. They find that the regular commitment and training is invaluable as it provides an oasis of calm and grounding in a busy life and a hectic world. Regular 'me' time provides an opportunity to stop and center oneself, to calm the busy chatter and thoughts in our heads, and then to come back and rejoin life afterward with a sense of stillness and inner peace. This provides a real sense of balance in life.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information and help visit http://www.lifestyletherapy.net

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Leigh/399535

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3349680

---