There will always be a demand on our time, and feeling pressured is something we start living with as second nature, often without realising it. The lists we make of things we need to do seem endless and limitless. And they will be, given the nature of our lifestyles and the responsibilities we carry. We feel good when we tick off tasks completed. The feeling of accomplishment gives us a sense of satisfaction, and yet we find ourselves missing out on something. The answer may well lie in the simple fact. We may have forgotten to plan out a very important task – spending time with ourselves.

Sometimes we don’t even realise that spending time with ourselves is as important to plan just as we plan other things we want to achieve. Our approach is often to do things for ourselves when we find the time. Once we realise how the quality of our life can change, we will move from finding time, to making time for ourselves.

Just as things get clear when the dust settles after a storm, we too need time off to allow our thoughts and emotions to settle to help us get clarity going forward. Time for ourselves gives us clarity.

Food not only needs to be tasted but digested as well. Similarly, not only do we need to go through experiences, we need to digest their significance, learnings, and insights. Time to ourselves deepens our experiences through reflection.

Some of the best moves in chess come from silent thinking. Often the ideas come when we allow the mind to function without interference. In a fast-moving and changing world, opportunities and challenges come at a pace that demands the best from us. Time to ourselves gives us the space and silence to make the right choices.

From the window we see the world, in the mirror we see ourselves. If we are always preoccupied with things around us, we may fail to see the changes we are going through and may wonder how we reached where we did. Time to ourselves allows us to recognise the person we are becoming.

Even the best pilot needs a navigation system to help him stay on course. If he gets distracted, there could be serious consequences. We can’t keep moving without course-correcting when we need to. Time to ourselves allows us to listen to our internal navigation system.

A match can light a flame, but it is the oil in the wick that sustains it. The outer world can spark our interest and enthusiasm, but it is our inner strength that sustains our journey. Time to ourselves allows us to reconnect with the Infinite within.

And it is only when we start enjoying our own company and start discovering things about ourselves that we never realised, will we realise a simple truth of life – to make a great life for ourselves, we need to learn to first consciously make time for ourselves.

(Picture-Rhine river running through Basel, Switzerland)