Give Yourself Some Personal Time

Every woman gets her own share of mood swings. Blame it on the hormones, the job, the motherhood tasks, the worrying about anything and everything. Sometimes I feel that I really do not have enough "me time" and it gets the best of me. Last Christmas, my office mate Mischy gave me a gift which I really needed. She must have read my mind.

She gave me a small paper box containing little cards with suggestions on how to enjoy your "personal time." Each little card provides valuable advice on how to de-stress, relax and just enjoy the moment.

This little box has helped me through my "blah" days. Those days when you feel worthless, run down, ugly, angry, sad, depressed,  - those days that have been patented for women. 

I have used the box four times since Christmas. The first card I randomly picked was this:

Blogging has helped me a lot. Writing has made me become aware of the sentiments of others. It has helped me find humor in daily mundane activities. Even if I do not blog everyday, I make it a point to take note of things around me - events, experiences, changes. I would say I wait for that "push." It is my heart that drives me to turn my thoughts into words. I need to feel it to write it. 

The second card I picked was this:

My mother always had flowering plants in and around the house. She has a beautiful collection of orchids which she religiously "talks to" everyday. She buys the best kind of plant food for them to keep them always in bloom. I guess I got my green thumb from her. I am more of the practical side though. Instead of planting flowers, I raise vegetables in flower pots. My latest crops are cherry tomatoes and all sorts of peppers. I tend to them every aftenoon, watering them and loosening up the soil to aerate the roots. I wish to see them bear their first fruit. My next project would be an herb planter.. or maybe I could try mushroom farming.

My pepper plant seedlings ready for replanting in two weeks

Here's my third card:

It has been a while since I visited the schools I attended. All of them were Catholic schools, and growing up with nuns and priests taught me about not giving up in the face of adversity and the power of prayer. My love for family has its roots in the teaching of the Catholic faith and I will be forever grateful to my parents who spent a fortune on my education. The last time I went to my Alma Mater, the University of Santo  Tomas, was 3 years ago, when I took my son to enroll him for his freshman year. I did notice that so many things have changed. There were new buildings, a monstrous gymnasium, the Plaza Mayor, a student center, etc. Even student attendance is monitored by swiping an ID in the building entrance. We used to deal with a class roll call when I was a student. Now I feel so jurassic. 

The Main Building of the University of Santo Tomas. This is where I earned my degree in Zoology.

And for my 4th "blah" day this year, I picked this card:

Wake up call for me. I have to keep in mind that someone somewhere is having a worse day than me. Somebody has nothing to eat, or no roof over their head. I must be thankful of what I have. 

Although I did not follow the instructions on the card by writing names on a piece of paper, I always keep these people in mind and mention them in my prayers. In the next few days, I may be writing their names on pieces of paper and stick them in the part of the house where I am always at - in the kitchen and laundry! 

To keep our sanity, we need some quiet time all to themselves. Time to just curl up in bed with a good book, to sit with her feet up on the sofa. Time to explore the world outside the kitchen and the laundry. Time to be with childhood friends, to try a new hairstyle, to watch the sunset. Indulge in a few minutes of quiet time, to listen to our innermost thoughts and to allow God to speak to us. The only way we can effectively give love is to start loving ourselves too.

Take a few minutes off your daily routine. Bask in that much needed "Personal Time."

I did. 

Guess what? It helped.

(Thank you Mischy. I really really love the "Personal time" box)