With so many of us still working from home and no end in sight, finding more “me time” is important for a whole slew of reasons.
What about you? Are you finding enough me-time?
I’ve discovered an easy way to use some that should already be yours to give yourself that much-needed break. Plus, it comes with three legitimate benefits, just in case you need help justifying it to you or your cabinmates.
So, let’s dive in.
Do you miss your commute? I haven’t had one for six years now. At first, I missed my me-time in the car. It was a personal sanctuary of sorts.
Reclaiming Me Time is No Joke
Stick with me if it sounds like I’m setting up one of those COVID jokes. I’m not. Trust me, the benefits of finding more me-time are real.
One unintended consequence of driving less is your vehicle is suffering too. How, you may ask?
New rule—when it sits too long, it won’t start. How do you know when it’s been too long?—It won’t start when you really need to go somewhere.”
Anything with a motor needs to be driven. Fuel goes bad. At best, your battery will be dead because they slowly use up their charge keeping all those modern gizmos running in the background. And older batteries just tend to lose their charge because they’re tired.
Without frequent use, your engine tends to get gunked-up… just like your brain.
So, where do I find this me-time?
Well, what if I said you already have it… you’re just not claiming it?
Remember that commute you used to take every day? That was your time, right? You listened to the radio or your favorite podcasts. Maybe audiobooks? Who knows… you could have spent the time talking to yourself?
It doesn’t matter, let’s look at it this way— according to cnbc.com the average one-way commute time in the States is 26.1 minutes. Times two, that’s nearly an hour at 52.2 minutes. This time belongs to you and you need to take it!
Maybe not every day, why would anyone do that? Okay, let’s not ask too many questions. But, consider maybe once a week or at least a few times a month.
You’ll want to leave the rushing part out though. Remember, we’ve talked about rushing.
Here’s the Plan:
- Give yourself permission… to 1) do it, 2) rationalize it, and 3) give yourself a small but simple gift that will in turn be a gift to others close to you
- Get a map. Guesstimate a 26.1-minute travel radius. Pick your destination. No-No-No… don’t head for your old worksite. That won’t make you feel better!
- If you’re the uber adventurous kind, just hop in the car, flip a coin, then head in a scientifically selected direction. Drive for 26.1 minutes and stop. Then, Google coffee shop near me and you’re golden. Visit safely though.
- Okay stop it, I can think of ten alternatives to coffee shops if that’s not your thing. That’s not an excuse, just pick somewhere else to go.
- It will, 1) blow the cobs out of your manifold and your brain, 2) chill you out, and 3) you’ll come back a nicer person.
Why it works
What makes this work is that we enjoy time in the car. Okay, maybe except for those of us with excessive commutes in cities with horrible traffic. I want to keep this real, but work with me.
Driving is one of those things that occupy our brains just enough without draining us. In the right amount and driving in the right places, it can even be refreshing. And that’s the whole idea here.
When you’re driving alone, you get some peace and quiet, and some thinking time. And you really are helping your car stay in tiptop shape.
How to deal… just go for a drive. A long drive… it will be good for the noggin. Go ahead, tell the family you’re taking care of some maintenance on the car. Because you are.
And whatever you do, don’t bring them along, unless somehow they’re not getting on your nerves. But consider this… you’re getting on theirs. I promise you. Leave-the-others-behind.
The idea is to enjoy the drive.
Drive. Explore. Wander. Not a big adventure. Just a cup from a coffee shop you don’t often visit and some miles alone with yourself.
When you get home, dive back into your (new) normal routine.
Just imagine yourself doing this for a moment…
Now, didn’t that feel good? And it took a fraction of your old daily commute time. Just 52.2 minutes. It will be the best 52.2 minutes you’ve spent in a while and look at what you accomplished. Look at the pain you avoided.
Don’t even think of saying it’s not a good use of your time.
To summarize…
The 3 Undeniable Benefits—
- It’s good for your car and
- Your mental wellbeing needs it
- Your housemates need a break from you too… no matter how much you love each other
And 2 Bonus Benefits—
- You might avoid some expensive repairs down the road
- You’ll be a nicer person and more fun to be around
Yes, it’s just what the doctor ordered… and nobody gets hurt. That is unless you’ve forgotten how to drive, and you cause a big pile-up or something.
You’ve also saved your family some of the pains of too much closeness.
What do you say…? You in?
Be untucked.
p.s. You know, I’m really glad you’re here. Thanks for visiting LifeUntucked today. It means the world to me. Really.
Click here to join my private email list! You’ll get reminders when I post and occasional cool stuff about being untucked. No SPAM ever (it’s not untucked).
Copyright © 2020 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved
This article made me smile, laugh and think. I resonate with everything you shared and I loved the way you bring everyday circumstances to the forefront with your wit. Oh, did I mention—this week, I had to replace my car battery… UGH!
This article made me smile, laugh and think. I resonate with everything you shared and I loved the way you bring everyday circumstances to the forefront with your wit. Oh, did I mention—this week, I had to replace my car battery… UGH!
Thank you so much, Lucy Ann! Sorry to hear about your battery. Usually it’s better when they go bad in the summer… hope that was the case and you weren’t left stranded.
Maybe just do the same thing but not actually driving? If you’re doing a 40-mile round-trip once a week, that’s roughly a ton of CO2 coming out the tailpipe. Perhaps hang a pair of foam dice near the porch swing as a more climate-friendly alternative?
Ouch, Dan! You do make a valid point. The problem is if you’re going to have a vehicle you’ve got to maintain it and keep it running well. A gunked-up engine is less efficient and spews out even more CO2. The truth is, I would have been a little disappointed if I didn’t get some objection to my idea. I stand by my underlying message. Be well and stay safe, my friend.
p.s. I do miss that old porch swing… We shared some good times.
What timing! Tim tried to start the blue hornet today and nada, zilch. Called the ‘rescue’ service and nope, it’s not the battery. The starter is blown. Good thing the guy brought a tow truck! I raise my cup of coffee to an untucked day. :o)
Sounds like my timing was a bit off though. Well… if your starter bit the dust there wasn’t much you could do. However, I applaud your toast to an untucked day—Cheers!! Thanks for stopping by, Laurie!