Why You Should Take More Time for Yourself

 In today’s busy world, it’s easy to put everyone else first. With the demands of work and family, it might feel that there’s not much time left over for you. Perhaps you even feel guilty about taking time for yourself – after all, shouldn’t you be spending that time with your kids, or your spouse¹, or your in-laws?

We all need time to rest and recharge. If life feels so busy that you’re convinced you can’t manage to have a few hours for yourself, then it’s especially crucial that you carve out some “me time”. Here’s why:

You Need to Take Care of Your Health

If you run yourself into the ground, you’re not going to be much help to the people around you.

That might seem a rather cold way to look at things – but if you’re struggling to justify² your daily meditation³ practice, your exercising, your book club, or whatever it might be, then you need to remind yourself that your health is vital.

Good physical and mental health requires upkeep of your body, mind and soul. That might mean:

* Body: Jog for 30 minutes, three times a week

* Mind: Read a book during your lunch hours

* Soul: Go to a religious service (or other act of worship) regularly

You Want Space to Breathe and Think

If your life is starting to feel like a treadmill⁴, it’s time to hit the stop button.

When you’re in the thick of things, it’s hard to get much perspective. Perhaps you’re struggling with a particular decision – like a choice of career paths, or the opportunity to take an important qualification. It can be all too easy to put off decisions or make hasty⁵ choices if you don’t take the time to stop and think.

If you’re engaged in any creative activity – writing, designing, computer programming, running a business – then this down-time is vital. You need to be able to get away from the constant busyness in order to do the best work that you’re capable of.

To get space, you could:

* Go out to a coffee shop on your own for a couple of hours

* Take a long walk in the countryside

* Book a weekend’s retreat, away from everyday life

You Are Important Too

Sometimes, we put other people first because we’re secretly convinced that they’re more important, or more needy⁶, than us. We downplay our own needs in order to help them.

Perhaps you’ve got a relative who’s ill, or a friend who’s facing huge struggles in his life. By all means help them – but don’t forget that you are important too. Don’t pour all of your energy into doing things for others at the expense of taking care of yourself.

You might need to get back in touch with your own needs and desires:

* Write in a journal for 5 minutes every day, and look for patterns emerging⁷

* Make a list of goals that you’d like to accomplish over the next 1, 3 and 5 years

* Join a local group (or an online forum) that’s devoted⁸ to a particular hobby or goal of yours

However busy you are, you can find time for yourself – even if you have to start with just a few minutes each day, or an hour or two every weekend. What could you do this week to make more breathing space in your life?

1 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

2 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

3 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

4 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。

5 hasty   

adj.草率的，急速的，匆忙的，仓促完成的

参考例句：

• She's too hasty;she should learn to think before speaking.她太轻率了，她应该学会话出口前想一想。
• You will have time for a hasty snack before the train leaves.火车离站前你还能抓紧时间吃一顿快餐。

6 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

7 emerging   

adj.正在不断出现的

参考例句：

• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
• I saw the woman emerging out of a shop. 我看见那个妇女从商店里走出来。

8 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。