Take Yourself Out

It’s been a long week. You deserve a night out. With yourself.

Life is hectic. With the constant overload of the day-to-day, it’s difficult to find quiet time for yourself, time to be introspective, to observe your thoughts or the world around you. Schedules tend to be busier than not, attempting to fit grocery shopping, hair appointments, and post office trips into an already structured work week. Weekends are often equally as busy, cramming household errands, sporting events, and social engagements into the span of two days. Pause a moment, and ask yourself this: When was the last time you spent time with yourself?

The term ‘time alone’ often has a negative connotation, but time alone does not automatically equal loneliness. Don’t be afraid to be with yourself. Go to a film you’ve been wanting to watch. Visit a museum and wander the galleries; drink in the art, the history. Sit on the sand at the beach with nothing but a blanket and your thoughts. Go for a long walk, but leave your iPod at home; listen to the sounds of the world around you. Take yourself out for lunch, and leave your phone and tablet in your purse. Lay below a flowering tree a read a book in the afternoon sun. Take a journal to the coffee shop, sit, observe, and write whatever comes to mind. Go to the ballet and lose yourself in its splendor.

Notice the thoughts that run through your head. You may be surprised at how your mind wanders when it’s not interrupted by dialogue: processing conversation, gearing up for retorts; or distracted by a beeping text message or the sound of a newly received email. Take time for yourself without distractions. Make space for your mind to roam freely. Make space for you.

This month, we’re serving up bite-sized advice from experts in different fields to help us all make life a little brighter, more creative and more efficient for 2013. Think of this month as a chance to connect with yourself on a deeper level, get closer to what makes you happy, and take control of the balance in ‘work-life balance’ for yourself this year.

Author Description

Ashley Fauset

Ashley is a party planner, classically trained dancer, grammar enthusiast and coffee aficionado. She lives in Los Angeles with her musician husband and their hammy two-year-old, and shares her tales of mama-hood at Silver Lake Mom.

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