'Me Time' to Maintain Sanity; Expert Says 30 Minutes is Enough

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Everyone needs a 'me time' to maintain their mental health, especially during the trying times of this Covid-19 pandemic. It shouldn't take too long, the best duration to do things you want to do on your own is only 30 minutes.

A psychologist and mental health advocate, Anastasia Satrio says, me time is good to refresh one's mind and to stay calm.

“Sometimes, 5-10 or 15 minutes can increase your sanity to do more things,” she said in a discussion on Saturday, September 26.

What needs to be understood is that the me-time duration should not be more than 30 minutes. According to Anastasia, it only needs less than half an hour every day to relax the mind.

“Me time is really important but pay attention to the duration. If, for example, you take 5 hours to just stare at your plants and not doing anything else, it means that you’re irresponsible and selfish,” she said.

She went on to say that people only need 30 minutes every day to maintain mental health. “It is more important than accumulating it to be one hour for a month. When you’re at home, you can enjoy [your me-time by] seeing your plants, drinking tea, or decorate things.”

Meanwhile, Anastasia underlined that it is important for parents to have a healthy mind as it will affect their children’s development.

“It is important for us adults to manage ourselves first before play with our children,” she remarked.

Read: Tips to Look After Mental Health during Covid-19 Pandemic

Antara