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8 Reasons Why Having Me-Time Should Be Part of Every Dad's Healthy Habits

September 23, 2020

The importance of personal time for dads cannot be overemphasized, as such, read on to find out the benefits of practicing “me” time.

Creating personal space or what is commonly known as “me time” is as equally important to dads as it is to moms. Those downtimes allow us to recover from stress and the pressures of life, giving us renewed energy and vigor, and the tenacity to face the day-to-day challenges. 

8 reasons why having me time should be part of every dad's healthy habits
Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels

8 Reasons Why Having Me-Time Should Be Part of Every Dad's Healthy Habits 

    The value of me-time: why practice it? 


    According to WebMD, allotting some time for yourself should form part of your overall healthy habit. By taking control of one’s happiness and health, their stress level will be lowered, and have more energy. 

    Some months ago, I saw in a parenting Facebook group a photo of a man playing video games. It was actually posted by his wife and came with a caption that read (not verbatim) “this is my husband playing video games.” 

    That caption got my attention because I thought it was from a tired wife who is about to rant and whine about her husband’s incessant video games. Not that I love to read about bickering couples but the frankness of the opening line really drew my interest. 

    The context of the post turned out differently though and I was glad that I read it because it contained a wealth of knowledge. The post happened to be a wife’s tribute to her husband who has nothing but tireless and responsible. 

    According to the woman, she allowed her husband to have an hour or two of uninterrupted time in front of his gaming computer. It’s a way for him to relax, she said, and she would rather have it that way than for her husband to go out and have a drink or hang out with other people. It was also the man’s choice to stay home with his family. 

    After the husband’s alone time, the wife said that he seemed more energetic and generally in a good mood. It was an act that is so simple – letting the husband alone with his hobby – but had a big impact. In hindsight, I found it to be a sweet and touching gesture. 

    Of course, this is just one side of the story. In a short Instagram video, I saw a husband talking about why it’s also vital to let our wives have their me-time for their overall well-being. It works both ways and, in the end, will be beneficial for the husband, the wife, and their family. 

    The story I narrated above is just one example. Me time can be anything from reading a book to writing, and even whipping up a nice recipe. It can be as short as a 15-minute nap to as long as, say, a break of an hour or two. Whatever will work for you without sacrificing the welfare of your children. 

    The health benefits of having me-time 


    Me-time is basically rest. We all need rest to recover from the daily pressure from work, from society, and, yes, even from our family. 

    Here are some of the biggest benefits of learning to stop, taking things slow, and having some personal time: 

    1. It increases your warmth and sensitivity 


    When we are swamped with so many things to do, we may oftentimes find ourselves to be short-tempered. That also applies to us when we are at home. When we have numerous tasks to think about, we may easily lose our cool when our kids become noisy or raucous. 

    In ideal situations, it’s easy to dismiss the chaos because, well, they are children anyway. Otherwise, it can be a source of frustration. What can we do? Take a break, do not think about the tasks at hand, and focus on something else. It can do wonders for you. 

    Do you notice that when you take some time off from your family, you begin to miss them? Having short alone times have the same effect. For example, when we take a break from taking care of our children, we become more empathic upon resuming our responsibilities with them. 

    2. It clears the mind 


    When we do something different from our routine, we create distractions. When we are distracted from our chores, our minds start to clear and we begin to think better and more efficiently. 

    Notice that when we resume our daily task, we become more concentrated and more attentive to details. 

    3. It increases productivity 


    Related to the previous benefit, alone time can help increase our productivity. Even if you are not going through a rough time, your overwhelming responsibilities can affect your output. Thus, have a few minutes all to yourself to regain your concentration. 

    When we have good focus, we tend to do more will less effort and minimal or no mistakes. We may not be able to do everything all at once but we can accomplish a significant amount of tasks. 

    4. It can stimulate creativity 


    When we are relaxed, our mind is free to think and soar. That can help us flood our minds with various thoughts that are totally unrelated to our daily routine. 

    Various oil paints and brushes as a creative hobby
    Photo by Steve Johnson from Pexels

    That’s a good way to trigger creative thoughts when you are trying to write, draw, paint, or even make crafts. 

    5. It can help you sort out your plans 


    Having several things going on in your head will never be to your advantage. You will not be able to finish a task when you are saddled by numerous details to think about. 

    As such, stop for a while and have some time for yourself to lay out your plans. You will be amazed by the many good ideas that will pop up in your head. 

    6. It can help strengthen your relationship 


    There are occasions when you just feel like your relationship can be a rough boat ride. That’s alright, we are just humans anyway and we go through challenges. 

    Instead of forcing yourself to sort things out concerning your relationship, why don’t you stop for a while, focus on yourself instead, concentrate on your favorite hobby for some time, and then come back and talk to your spouse. 

    Oftentimes, you will realize that your renewed energy will bring in favorable results. 

    7. It can help you discover more about yourself 


    It’s easy to assume that we already know so much about ourselves. However, in solitude, we may even find out more about ourselves such as a hidden talent, a new interest, or even a long-forgotten dream.

    Create space that has your laptop and other gadgets for your personal time
    Photo by Burst from Pexels

    We can opt to try out these new discoveries and may also form part of our personal time. 

    8. It can restore your excitement 


    The fact that we are looking forward to doing something exciting will bring us a lot of excitement and happiness. In turn, it will give us a positive outlook and generally improve our mood with the thought that there is always something awesome waiting for us beyond a bad day. 

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    Pinterest image for the health benefits for dads of having me time



    Epilogue 


    Having personal time is healthy, both for dads and moms. When we are alone and away from the pressures of life, we can recover both our physical and mental well-being, we improve our relationship with our spouse and children, and we generally become happier.

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    33 comments

    1. Richelle Escat28 July 2021 at 21:44

      Absolutely. As well as moms, dads should be having it too.

      ReplyDelete
    2. I believe in the importance of "me-time". I think self-care is important to be a better parent and spouse.

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    3. Scarlett Brooklyn28 July 2021 at 23:12

      I was telling this to a friend of mine a while ago. I guess I have to share this article to him.

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    4. Rose Ann Sales28 July 2021 at 23:43

      Love the idea. Of course dads are also humans and they need some pampering sometimes too

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    5. Such compelling reasons for dads to have me-time. That first one was a surprise to me!

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    6. We all need to have me-time. It really does have a positive impact on mental health and strengthen relationships. A short nap is something I'm having later today if I can!

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    7. I will keep reminding the men in my life that the need and deserve a me-time to refresh. Absolutely important

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    8. Everyone needs some time to their selves. Video games can be a great way to unwind and relax.

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    9. Every parent should have time on their own. This article is perfectly written and I hope it inspires parents to have time away from their kiddos.

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    10. AiringMyLaundry8 May 2022 at 03:12

      Yes! Everyone needs me time. My husband enjoys playing video games.

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    11. "Me Time" is as important for dads as it is for moms. I like to take my kiddos camping with my parents and my hubby stays home with the dogs. Gives him so alone time to do what he would like without the kids.

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    12. Me time is good for everyone. We all need time to do something that brings us joy.

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    13. I think a little me time is good and important for everyone. We all deserve a little time to ourselves to regenerate.

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    14. "Me time" for me is just doing what I want "not work." It helps me to feel relaxed even if I'm still doing something and be refreshed to start the week again. "Me time" for my husband is basically having sports or watching TV.

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    15. Me time is so important for everyone - Dad, Mums, Kids. All of us need time to unwind and be ourselves, what ever that may be. Great post!

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    16. Me Time is very important for all Mums and Dads. There is a lot of stress involved in bringing kids up and "me time" is a great way to relieve it.

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    17. That's right, everybody deserves some me-time. Thank you very much!

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    18. That's true. That's the best way to recharge ourselves.

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    19. That's a great way to relax. Thanks for dropping by!

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    20. Thank you very much! Yup, there's nothing wrong with taking a break, especially parents who are doubly-stressed out.

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    21. Roxas Edgardo8 May 2022 at 03:15

      This is So Awesome, cool, inspiring and giving Us Motivation to other like me Daddy specially for all the Daddies Here .. sobrang nkakataba ng Puso ang Bawat Tips na Iyo pong Naibabahagi ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’• kaya love na love ko po ang bawat Blog Niyo mommy and Daddy at hindi po ako mpapagod na Suportahan Kayo

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    22. Ramil Hinolan8 May 2022 at 03:15

      Agree. We also need self-care. "ME" time is important for us to relieve ourselves with the daily stress that goes with having a family.

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    23. Eloise Maoudj Riley8 May 2022 at 03:15

      Yes! both parents should have me-time in any family to keep sanity. A break is so important for every reason you've listed above.

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    24. This is really important for everyone. We deserve a little break afterall. I give my husband his alone time so he won't get drained easily. I totally agree with it!

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    25. Success Unscrambled8 May 2022 at 03:28

      Having me time definitely applies to everyone, mom, dad and even children. It is especially helpful when it comes to mental health and well being.

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    26. Me time is essential for everyone, and especially for introverts. As a gamer I totally understand the need to immerse into something else. Some watch movies, or read book, but gaming is my husband and I chill time

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    27. Regan Thacker8 May 2022 at 03:28

      This is a great list of suggestions for taking time to do things we enjoy. As bloggers, we appreciate that time for creative outlets increases our interest in the world around us, improves our mood by providing a space to share our thoughts, hidden talents and our dreams.

      ReplyDelete
    28. Melanie Williams8 May 2022 at 03:28

      LOVE this! Me time is a ust and myself, I always try to get some time for myself to chill, relax, reflect and sometimes simply do nothing x

      ReplyDelete
    29. Crickette Inserto8 May 2022 at 03:28

      I agree. Actually, a little me-time for everyone is essential. Because if you don't make time for it, you're going to be consumed by all the stresses you've accumulated.

      For a parent, it's going to be bad if you resonate your stress onto your child. That isn't healthy.

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    30. Monidipa Dutta8 May 2022 at 03:28

      Spending time alone is actually a good thing as the relationship you have with yourself is the most important one in your life. Studies have shown that having more me time has benefits such as increasing productivity, happiness, gratitude and empathy.

      ReplyDelete
    31. The Small Adventurer8 May 2022 at 03:28

      Love this! "Me time" is important for every human being out there. We all need time to recharge, relax and focus on what's ahead of us in order to be our best selves ๐Ÿ˜Š

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    32. Lyosha Varezhkina8 May 2022 at 03:28

      me-time is very important. I gives a lot for person even if it is only 30 minutes but without any limits or distraction

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