Working It: How to Look Fierce On & Off the Field

Game On

Ways to Make Time For Me-Time

By Didi Gluck

There’s the quiet type, and then there’s 19 year old inspirational speaker, author & yogi Brittany Krystantos. As a child, Brittany wasn’t just shy, she was basically silent. She had a rare condition called Selective Mutism, which kept her from saying much to anyone except her parents. But by the time Brittany turned 7, she made the decision to take back her voice.

Speaking was one thing, but actually using her voice was a whole other struggle. And while angstiness is a rite of passage for any teen, Brittany had some next-level emo feelings about the Queen Bees in high school. So she reached out to a spiritual life advisor. “She guided me toward yoga, meditation & journaling to calm my mind.” Brittany soon began writing & practicing yoga every day—and leaving self-doubt behind.

Pressing pause on our lives enables us to make more time for ourselves.

Looks like it paid off. Brittany turned her journals into a book called “I Am Not Your Average Teen.” (And what were you doing during high school?) Writing the book helped Brittany transform her negative thoughts into positive vibes. “After the book came out, teenagers were asking me for advice & I found I could really help them.”

One of the keys to her success? Me-time. “So much is expected of us that we can lose touch with how we feel,” she says. “Pressing pause on our lives enables us to make more time for ourselves.” A healthy mind & soul also means a healthy body. “When I don't stop to take care of myself, my skin breaks out—it's a sign I need to slow down,” Brittany remarks. Think you’re too swamped to carve out space for you? Think again. Try Brittany’s top 5 tips for making me-time:

Tap into Your Inner (and Outer) Beauty
Make a conscious choice to schedule in weekly (or daily) me-time. Then actually use it to do something just for you! Brittany recommends indulging in a beauty treatment, like getting your nails done or treating yourself to a 10-minute face or body mask.“Feeling good in your skin is one of the most empowering things you can do.”

Feeling good in your skin is one of the most empowering things you can do.

Power Up by Powering Down
Turn your phone off. (Or at least put it in airplane mode. Baby steps.) Try to go 1 hour a day without checking it. Focus on feeling present in the moment, not the number of likes your Matcha latte ‘gram is getting. If you really want to take it next-level, go off the grid for a weekend.

Get Sweaty
More of a Pilates girl? Try a boxing class this week instead! Whether you’re checking out the class of the moment or downloading an app to get your yoga on in the park, working out gets your blood flowing. And that brings oxygen to your brain & a healthy flush to your face. Plus, it raises endorphin levels. And endorphins make us happy. There’s really no downside here.

Phone a Friend
Transform me-time into we-time. Whether they’re down the hall, or a million miles away, no one “gets you” like your BFF.  So go old school. Pick up the phone and give them a ring. Or go for FaceTime. Then you can see their smile and/ or make weird faces at each other. Whatever your thing is. 

Listen to Music
Zone out with zen melodies. Or rock out with something a bit more hardcore. Whatever your jam is, dance (& sing) like no one is watching! We guarantee you’ll feel better after a good private dance party / impromptu karaoke sesh.