Do we really not have the TIME? Is life REALLY that busy? Time, our most precious commodity, that we always seem to say we don’t have enough of. ‘I’m too busy,’ ‘I don’t have the time’.

As a teacher, a stressed out teacher, I used to tell myself that I didn’t have the time. I would start early, finish late and then work from home. The one gift I felt I didn’t have enough of was ‘time’. Time to switch off, time to relax, time for myself, my family and my home. All I had time for was work, stress, and more work.

Before I knew it, the lack of time for myself had taken over, resulting in mandatory time off – with stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, it took my mind and body to malfunction drastically before I realised I needed to take out time for myself.

My mental health was affected and Crohns – which for me was aggravated by stress – also decided to rear its ugly head to the surface.

I think I saw taking time out as non-essential, a luxury – which it most definitely is not. There was almost an element of guilt if I took time out for myself – my distorted thinking at the time. It was during this time, that I revisited previous learning and experiences and re-started my journey to improve my mental wellbeing.

Taking time out for yourself isn’t a luxury – it’s essential for health; just as essential as eating and drinking. It’s a preventative measure for preserving your mental and physical wellbeing. It’s only when I began to take time out for myself – just 10 minutes twice a day to meditate that I realised the importance of it for my wellbeing and everything changed.

This not only affected my mental wellbeing but encompassed my physical health too and not a symptom of Crohns remained in sight – and I don’t mean being in remission – I had been there before (with medication) but this was different; I felt restored to my former healthier self and continue to feel so to this day.

I started to work in more challenging environments with an increased work load – but I had time. Time to do everything to a high standard – I am a perfectionist after all! Time off for myself resulted in more time for me – How was that possible? I didn’t procrastinate, I didn’t stress or overthink – like I used to. Instead, I was more productive, resilient, creative and content. I managed to do everything more efficiently.

At the moment, my life is busier than ever! I still teach, have my business and have started a new community venture – life is busier than ever but I always take time out for myself.

The difference is I now MAKE time for my well-being and prioritise this.

Making time has resulted in more time because I get things done! Get things done somehow more efficiently and it feels fabulous!

Take time out for yourself – 10 minutes twice a day and feel your life change…