Guest Blogger: Jennifer writes about "ME" time

Meet Jennifer, my first Guest Blogger! Jennifer hails from Utah, but began her journey in Parma, Idaho.  Her work at Franklin Covey has provided some insight that she wants to share.  She has a few words to say about taking care of your mental and emotional health.  Thank you, Jennifer, for contributing this week!

 

Jennifer writes about "ME" time.

 

When Carol asked me to guest post on her blog I had a couple of things run through my mind.  See what I did there?  "Run?" Get it?...  

Basically that's about all the running I do these days.  I feel like my mind is constantly running as I've entered into a new promotion at work and as I've been helping my parents get their Etsy shop, "Craftcoop" (wink wink) up and running.

Exercise for me these days consists of occasional walks by myself around my block before the sun sets, because living in the city will never be the same as country life, and daily rides on my stationary bike in my room.  I enjoy the 30 minutes or so that I can dedicate to that each day but that's about as far as it goes.  I have a lot of respect for people who have the dedication and the endurance to run 10 or more miles at once.  I know I could do it if I trained for it (for years) but I will save you the eye rolls and just admit right now that it's just never been my strong suit.

Since I'm not great at running I knew that another thing Carol likes to post are delicious recipes. I love food.  And when I say food, I really mean treats.  I could tell you all about how to make the Salted Caramel Snicker's Cupcakes I made this weekend and sold at my cousin's craft show but I won't.  They are the devil.  Literally though, they are made with Devil's food cake and they are the best.  

Since I clearly can't inspire you when it comes to healthy eating and exercising I want to talk about your minds and spirit for a minute.  Working at FranklinCovey we teach about Steven R. Covey's, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" quite a bit.  I've read the book a few times and learn more every time I read it.  If you haven't read it before then you should seriously consider putting it on your list next.  If you read it way back in college then it's probably time for a refresh.  

One of my favorite habits is "Sharpen the Saw."  It talks about how we need to focus on being more balanced when it comes to the physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual sides of us.  Being a more rounded person.  It's that much needed "me" time that we always find ourselves talking about after a long week of work or after finishing a large project.  Think about it.  What are those things that you enjoy doing for you and that you wish you had more time for?   Why aren't you making more time for it?

I really believe that the most effective people are those who make time for themselves in the midst of their jobs, children, errands, and craziness of life.  For some people that might be a long run, cooking, or sharing their talents with other people.  For me it's going to the movies, crafting, blogging, and (yes, I'm a 70-year-old grandma trapped in a 26-year-old body) cross-stitching.   These things help me escape my running mind after a busy day/week and really help me find joy in life.

We all get busy.  Believe me, I know.  I'm busy with my single/child-less life so I can't even begin to imagine how busy the rest of you are. #respect.  But I also know that there is always time for YOU.  Life is inevitably busy and occasionally dramatic; Don't let it get you down.  If you can only manage to get 20 minutes of "me" time right before bed, do it!  Shut down your social media apps, shut off your computer and TV and make it happen. 

Make sure that you are keeping yourself balanced.  If you catch yourself thinking, "I wish I had time to  _______" then focus the next day to fit it in whether it be physical, social, spiritual, mental or emotional.  You might not be able to make time every day but there is time at least once a week if your "_____" is reasonable. I mean, I could say "I wish I had more time to surf in Hawaii" but that's just not practical.  Besides, I'm terrified of sea creatures and all activities that could result in falling.  Anyways, you get what I'm saying.

Celebrate you.
Set goals.
Sharpen the saw.
Eat a cupcake.

--
Jennifer Hansen :)

You can read more and follow Jennifer at Anything But Ordinary !

Happy Running!