I strongly believe in something I call Annelie-time. This is time dedicated to myself. It is always spent alone and could take on many forms. It could be time pampering or spoiling myself. But more often than not it is time spent on doing something for my soul and setting my mind free of things that have been troubling me.
Sometimes it would be watching a movie on my own. This would be to totally relax and switching off from the world around me; not caring if the movie makes me cry of laugh so loud that people might stare at me.
Other times I would take a book or newspaper somewhere like Magnolia Dell – sitting under the trees and read. Or I would treat myself to a cappuccino while filling pages and pages with my thoughts. Or I would go for a walk to just clear my mind. A while ago I went on a week-long road trip on my own and I felt so liberated and free – just me and my thoughts on the road. Then again, it is just as fulfilling to lock my doors, draw the curtains and switch off my phone and spend uninterrupted time with my thoughts and feelings.
Sometimes Annelie-time entails something creative like putting colourful oil paint on a canvass or using delicate glass beads to make a necklace. However, I am not always producing something during Annelie-time but mostly its the inspiration to do so.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, calls this time The Artist Date. She proposed this as a tool to opening yourself to insight, inspiration and guidance. She says that spending quality time alone let you connect with your inner child and inner artist. She suggests spending about two hours per week doing things like: visiting a junk store; take a solo trip to the beach; watching an old movie; visiting an aquarium or an art gallery; go to a strange church to hear gospel music; or go to an ethnic neighbourhood to taste foreign sights and sounds. The list goes on and on with things I like to do or should to do during Annelie-time.
I found a link titled ‘Me’ Time on Oprah’s website – one of my great inspirations in life. Here she gives stress-busting tips to take care of yourself, five books she thinks everyone should read to change your understanding of the world, audio meditations to get in touch with your soul, quotes of inspiration to open your heart and ways to transform the quality of your life. All this ‘Me’ Time tips she gives are things for your soul - the kind of things I would do during Annelie-time.
Sometimes it would be watching a movie on my own. This would be to totally relax and switching off from the world around me; not caring if the movie makes me cry of laugh so loud that people might stare at me.
Other times I would take a book or newspaper somewhere like Magnolia Dell – sitting under the trees and read. Or I would treat myself to a cappuccino while filling pages and pages with my thoughts. Or I would go for a walk to just clear my mind. A while ago I went on a week-long road trip on my own and I felt so liberated and free – just me and my thoughts on the road. Then again, it is just as fulfilling to lock my doors, draw the curtains and switch off my phone and spend uninterrupted time with my thoughts and feelings.
Sometimes Annelie-time entails something creative like putting colourful oil paint on a canvass or using delicate glass beads to make a necklace. However, I am not always producing something during Annelie-time but mostly its the inspiration to do so.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, calls this time The Artist Date. She proposed this as a tool to opening yourself to insight, inspiration and guidance. She says that spending quality time alone let you connect with your inner child and inner artist. She suggests spending about two hours per week doing things like: visiting a junk store; take a solo trip to the beach; watching an old movie; visiting an aquarium or an art gallery; go to a strange church to hear gospel music; or go to an ethnic neighbourhood to taste foreign sights and sounds. The list goes on and on with things I like to do or should to do during Annelie-time.
I found a link titled ‘Me’ Time on Oprah’s website – one of my great inspirations in life. Here she gives stress-busting tips to take care of yourself, five books she thinks everyone should read to change your understanding of the world, audio meditations to get in touch with your soul, quotes of inspiration to open your heart and ways to transform the quality of your life. All this ‘Me’ Time tips she gives are things for your soul - the kind of things I would do during Annelie-time.
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