There are times when we deserve uninterrupted alone time.

I used to be a slave to the telephone. I’d take it with me when I showered and leap off of the throne should it ring in the middle of my business. Not that my phone rings all that much, which may be why I mistakenly assumed that if it rang, I should drop whatever I was doing to answer it.

When I was working in an office and in the middle of a hairy project, I had no trouble hitting the “DND” button on my phone, but when at home, I simply assumed that if it rings, I answer. Nothing could be further from the truth.

My outlook was changed by an accident.

One day last year, I discovered that my cell phone wasn’t ringing, forcing me to constantly check to see if I’d missed a call or received a text. When I took it into the Apple store, the tech took one look at it and showed me I’d accidentally put it on DND (a function, up to that point, I hadn’t even known existed!), and showed me how to fix it.

It took another few months for me to have an epiphany and realize I could use that function! Now, I set it intentionally whenever I want uninterrupted me time. It might be while I’m meditating or at the gym, but I also use it when I’m in the midst of writing. Heaven knows my Muse hates interruptions.

Even when I am not using the DND function, I’ve learned that, for the most part, calls and texts can wait until I’ve finished whatever I’m doing. I can shower without the phone nearby and, except during planned power outages, my cell is never in my bedroom.

Carving out alone time should be as high a priority as feeding your kids (furry or otherwise)

It took a little while to train my daughter when I first began using DND. In the beginning, she learned why I worry when I just get her voice mail, but after I explained why I needed undisturbed time, she understood and went on her way. Of course, I also learned why she heaves huge sighs when I can’t reach her, and am less likely to assume the worst when her phone goes straight to voice mail! (funny how often the teacher becomes the student!)

From every new experience, a lesson is learned…maybe two!

I’ve learned a lot from this simple act of carving out time for myself in which interruptions are minimized, if not eliminated.

1. We all need time to ourselves, whether it’s to meditate, go to the gym, write, or just be alone.
2. Given time, the people who care about us not only respect but appreciate our need for this time when we can’t be reached.
3. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Once we learn to expect that our own quiet time is to be respected, we learn to be more respectful of others’ need for the same thing.
4. When someone is unreachable, it isn’t a cause for panic or for assuming the worst.
5. Giving ourselves alone time makes us calmer, more productive and ultimately, happier, thus bringing our stress levels down.

The only thing which surprises me at this point is that I didn’t make some of these connections sooner. When my daughters were young, I always had my quiet time, though back then, it occurred between about 10PM and midnight, after they’d gone to bed and finally settled down. In fact, my best writing time is still in that area, though I have been known to crank out a few thousand words in the middle of the day on occasion.

Here’s a little mantra for you: “I want and need time in my day which is only for me. I will take such time every day without guilt or recriminations because I am worth it!”

Be kind to yourself, dear readers. It sets the tone for how others will treat you.

My gratitudes are:
1. I am grateful for the plethora of epiphanies I’ve been receiving lately.
2. I am grateful for the lessons I learn and put into practice.
3. I am grateful for the clearing of old paradigms.
4. I am grateful for new opportunities and options which are coming into my life.
5. I am grateful for abundance: love, harmony, peace, opportunities, writing, reading, sharing, dreaming, joy, health and prosperity.

Blessed Be