At the beginning of every week in 2013 I’ll be sharing a different way to get happy for FREE. Being happy doesn’t cost anything except your decision to try. I show you how I got happy that week and hope to inspire you to do the same. Join my Get Happy for FREE challenge, you have nothing to lose and a whole lot of smiles to gain!
Happy is not in your bank account, it’s in your home.
I get asked so often about finding happiness in things, that are not things. Did you know only 10% of our happiness comes from income? Over 40% is directly related to our conscious actions to be happy!
Our past challenges so far have been to focus on our loved ones more, go somewhere new and even to try a new food.
So far, we’ve been looking outward, this week we are looking inward.
According to Reader’s Digest:
Although relationships are one of the best antidotes to stress, sometimes you need time alone to recharge and reflect.
When you travel on an airplane, they always stress one safety precaution that makes me smile. They tell passengers traveling with babies and young children that in the event of an emergency, put the oxygen mask on yourself first, than on the child.
This is safety advice for life! How can we take care of everyone else, if we are falling apart? Put your oxygen mask on yourself!
WEEK 4
This week we are focusing on spending time alone.
Take a walk, read a magazine, go out to lunch by yourself or have coffee in your car alone, even if it’s just parked outside your house! The time doesn’t matter, whether it’s 15 minutes or 2 hours. Just make time for yourself, alone.
Week 4: Spend Time Alone
If you follow me on Instagram, you already got a sneak peek of how my challenge went!
Two things are a must for me when I go out by myself. A bookstore is probably involved and my trusted confidante, Acer laptop.
In my own world. This is a luxury. No toddler crawling on my back while I try to answer an email. I think I was looking up juice recipes.
Browsing a very cool juice app on Windows 8. And yes, it’s a touchscreen laptop!
Now I’m ready to be left alone…in my zone. A good friend once told me, no one will give you a break, you have to take it yourself. Take the break you deserve.
JOIN THE CHALLENGE!
- Spend some time alone and then come back and tell me about in the comments by 2/9 11:59 p.m. EST.
- I will pick one winner via random.org from all eligible comments. I’ll announce the next $5 Amazon Code winner in my weekly email that goes out every Sunday. Make sure you are a subscriber or you won’t know you won!
- If you win and are a blogger or want a link to your site or Instagram account mentioned in the newsletter be sure to snap a pic that represents this week’s challenge!
- Tag me on Facebook OR on Instagram with the pic!
Other posts in the 52 Ways to Get Happy for FREE Series:
- Week 1: Focus on Relationships
- Week 2: Go Somewhere New
- Week 3: Try a New Food
- Week 4: Spend Time Alone
- Week 5: Write to Someone
- Week 6: Smile
- Week 7: Take a Walk
Disclosure:I am part of the Windows Champions Ambassador program and receive benefits such as testing new products.I am not obligated to write about them, it’s just a part of my life I wanted to share.#windowschampions
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5 for 40 Dollars Worth of Product at CVS 2/2-2/9
Hi! I'm Isra, aka The Frugalette. I took my family from fancy to frugal in 3 years, with 3 kids and 1 income, oh and found the meaning of life too! To read more about my fancy life gone frugal, 
Over the weekend I got to go to the bathroom BY MYSELF several times. It’s not much but I’ll take it
Ha! So funny…and hey it is a big thing! Here’s to many more days of going to the bathroom…alone.
I had my husband take our daughter to the grocery store tonight. It didn’t take them long but the time I get alone at home is so far and few between that it does wonders for my psyche.
I love when my husband takes the kids out of the house. I really enjoy being alone in the comfort of my own home, if only for a couple hours!
I love this and you are so right about taking care of ourselves. I’m just realizing that I have to focus on taking care of my spirit before I can give to my children who are very demanding on my heart.
But today, I enjoyed spending time with myself just blogging without interruption and also watching a movie all alone without feeling like I needed to please anyone.
Love this challenge.
I love that you watched a movie alone! I don’t know when was the last time I watched a movie, let alone by myself!
Has someone won the juicer already? I’m eagerly that congrats email
Hi Diane! Yes, the winner has been confirmed, I updated the post. Johanna S. won!
My daughter takes a 1.5-2 hour nap everyday so I use that time to catch up on TiVo, read, take a nap or whatever else that I WANT to do, not HAVE to do. I love it!
Wow, that is a great time to re-group! I like that you take a nap and do things you want to do, it’s so true because I used to clean, cook, catch up on emails; all things that make me more stressed instead of taking the time to relax.
I spent some time sewing in my room..alone! Not too long b/c The Girl had to come visit and talk at me for a bit!
Oh how nice, I wish I knew how to sew, seems like such a great way to unwind.
I watched a geeky movie on Netflix.
Something no one else would like. I tagged my picture on Instagram for you to see.
I always spend time alone. Though I can completely understand the advice this particular challenge is suggesting, I find that the amount of alone-time I have is a bit depressing. See I don’t have a car and I don’t live in the best “take a walk” part of town. I do enjoy what motivation does take over and I sometimes get inspired to spend the day crafting. Those are my favorites. Generally though it’s me home alone, boyfriend at school and daughter at daycare. I have to find ways to spend my time, and often it’s meaningless tasks to just make the day go by faster.
I meant to write boyfriend at work and daughter at school (VPK).
Oh Shary I’m sorry. Yeah, I mean to spend purposeful time alone, so like when you do your crafting or things that are just for you that make you happy.
I enjoyed an hour to myself earlier today. My sister came to get my son so he could stay with her tonight…so I enjoyed the break!
An hour is a great amount of time to refresh.
I managed to get some alone time when I took a nice, long shower the other day. And yesterday I asked my oldest to watch the baby while my other pre-schooler was napping and the others hadn’t gotten home from school yet. It was nice to have some alone time while I just browsed the internet.
I was by myself in my own home for three hours the other day. I didn’t know what to do. It was the craziest feeling…so, so, so quiet!
My train ride into work is my “alone” time, even though there are other travelers with me. I completely zone them out and read all my celebrity gossip!
I went running by myself for this week’s challenge to spend time alone! My husband sometimes asks me to go running with him, but he is much taller and faster so I always say no. This week I went ahead and tried it a few times, just for me, and it was great! So maybe next time he asks I’ll say yes!
I also posted a photo of me in my running clothes on the Frugalette Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10102820005258730&set=o.141313669282359&type=1&theater
I love that! You probably felt extra happy too, exercise is a great mood booster!
What a wonderful post! I do not have children. But, I have a small business and a full time job and sometimes I have no “me time.” But, I sat and watched two episodes of “the office” on netflix and I was so happy! I made a little snack and just giggled. It was great!
I love the office! Never get to really watch it anymore, but that would definitely qualify as me time.