Have you ever given yourself a timeout? Do you know when to give yourself a time out? As adults we intuitively know when to tell our children to "Go sit in timeout". We see them slowly start to unravel and then all hell breaks loose. What do we do though, when we're pushed to our limits? We may tend to yell more. We may become withdrawn. What if we could prevent the mental breakdown from occurring altogether by giving ourselves a timeout? If you haven't thought much about giving yourself a timeout, read on for what I learned about taking timeouts.
Why I gave myself a timeout:
You may wonder why I gave myself a time out. It has lasted almost a year. 2014 started off on a positive note but two months in things started to drastically alter. For a control freak in almost every aspect of my life, drastic changes means steps away from a mental breakdown. With the arrival of my teenage niece into my parent's household, I got a taste of parenthood. It was one I was not ready for. Babysitting children for a night or a weekend is nothing in comparison to being a full time parent. Throw in all the exciting life changes there were also going on last year and Arelis needed a time out. Some changes in life are temporary while others are life changing. How long you give yourself a timeout will vary depending on the degree of change going on for you at any given time. You may not even realize that you need a timeout. Regardless of your situation, self care is vital in ALL OF OUR LIVES.
The best time to give yourself a timeout is when things seem to be happening all at once!
When things are happening for you all at once and then something else pops up, take a timeout. You'd be surprised what a simple five minute break from thinking about EVERYTHING will benefit your wellbeing.
It's okay to take a mental break.
Whether you call it a timeout, a mental break, a breather or a vacation, its OK to take it. A person can only go full throttle for so long before they run out of gas. Think of yourself as a car. You take your car in for maintenance appointments that help keep your car in tip top shape. This helps prevent the car from breaking down. If you do it for your car why not for yourself?
Listen to your body, mind and soul.
We all have different tolerances to what goes on in our daily lives. When you start to hear that voice in the back of your head scream or cry... it might be time to take a break. We could attempt to avoid these triggers, but we both know that sometimes we cannot control everything. SO before you feel like you're about to be pushed over the edge ... take a timeout!!!
Two things I learned last year about taking timeouts:
- Enjoy the quiet. Our lives can be filled with a lot of noise. Letting yourself enjoy the quiet gives you time to relax. Its a moment to be alone and gather your thoughts. Kick your quiet time up a notch with a list of affirmations to read to yourself. Thinking positive thoughts about what is going on in your life AND about yourself will give you the boost that you may need to plow forward.
- Give yourself a time frame. Only you know how big of a timeout you need. It's taken me almost a year to get back into the swing of things and be comfortable with all the recent changes going on in my life. Initially it was only supposed to be a few months .... then I gave myself a date of November 20th. The day came and went as I tried to recoup from being sick. Then I was pregnant with no energy. Be OK with what comes your way and adjust accordingly. I will tell you that the longer your break is the HARDER it is to get back into the swing of things. Start with a specific time frame and if you need to adjust do so as the date approaches.
Have you taken a timeout recently? Do you know if you need a time out? Do you have so many things going on at the same time that you're feeling overwhelmed? Have you bitten off more than you can chew? Or maybe you need a break from your everyday schedule? Sometimes you just need a timeout. Remember, it's ok to call a timeout!
Until then,
