Your inner sanctuary

With our super-busy lives we often get caught up juggling work life with family life, leaving little time to dedicate to ourselves. The realisation that something is missing and that our lives are off-kilter is always the first step. But what can we do then to change the tide?

The most effective way to add some me-time to your life is to change your routine. What can you do differently that could add 30 minutes a day of ‘me time’? Maybe you need to get up 30 minutes earlier in the morning and add some meditation or a short yoga practice then. If you have young children you may want to wait until they’re in bed to find some quiet time to yourself. Make sure that you take your lunch break at work and do something just for you!

In the early days, when you are starting to make changes to your routine, you need to be strict and prioritize your newly found ‘me time’. But after a while, as your routine becomes established, you may catch yourself really craving that little window of time to yourself and you’ll really miss it if you don’t do it. This is a sign that all your efforts are starting to pay off.

For those of you who are always on the go, finding 30 minutes a day may just not be realistic! The weekend may be the only time you have to put aside some ‘me time’. If that is the case, make sure you do! Take a little bit longer, may be one hour on Saturday morning to join a yoga class or go for a walk with a dear friend or anything else which will give you a complete break.

A home sanctuary

While you are trying to establish your new routine, it helps if you can have a dedicated space for your practice, whether it is yoga, meditation or else. At least in the early days it helps if you can practice in the same room and have all your equipment and props ready, so you don’t have to go looking for them. You can include objects or images or even add small gestures like lighting a candle or an incense stick which can be useful in marking your ‘me time’. If you practise meditation for instance, always sit in the same spot, you may have a favourite cushion or pillow or blanket which you can use for your practice. Little gestures such as these can help in the early days, although eventually you should be able to practise anywhere and anytime.

Belonging to a group

The pandemic has forced us into big changes in our lives. Not all of those changes are negative. Using online platforms like Zoom has helped us to stay in touch with people far away, whether it is work colleagues, family, friends or our yoga teacher! There is no doubt that belonging to a group, whether online or face-to-face, is a great motivation in keeping up a healthy routine. The group will be able to offer ongoing support and encouragement. With the various lockdowns we have had to endure, our choice was often restricted to online groups only. But now, we also have the option of joining face-to-face groups which are better for some people. At Holistic View all classes are delivered online, which have the benefit of reaching you wherever you are in the UK or abroad. We have a weekly timetable of 8 classes ranging from 30 to 60 minutes. The positive thing about joining a weekly group, especially if you also make a financial commitment in the form of advance payment such as with a class pass or a monthly membership, is that you are strengthening your commitment to prioritizing your own wellbeing. For some people it can make all the difference!