The History Of ME Day – How A Day Dedicated To YOU Really Started

ME Day is just around the corner! Who else is excited? 

Let’s see. A day specifically dedicated to taking time for yourself and prioritizing self-care and self-love. Day for yourself, where you take time to do the things that bring you joy. Where we all promote well-being through meditation, exercise, reading, or spending time in nature. Doing all these things that reduce stress and improve overall mental and physical health. 

Okay, that sounds exciting.

But first, do you know how it came to this? Let’s talk about the history of ME Day.

First Ever ME Day

It’s 2015. The calendar is filled with holidays that honor the roles we play in our lives – think Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day. But there isn’t a specific day to honor individual identity. No day to celebrate ourselves.

So, the Domain.ME team decided to do something about it. 

We conducted a survey that showed that as many as 70% of respondents from the U.S. feel that they do not have time for themselves – no ‘me time’. Such a sad fact. Shouldn’t we celebrate our own, unique identities that make us truly special? Shouldn’t there be a day where we celebrate ourselves, as putting ourselves first once in a while is crucial? 

Besides, fulfilling our own goals and caring for ourselves really benefits our overall well-being. It indirectly improves the quality of our relationships, and even boosts performance at work.

Therefore, the natural course of things was starting the first official ME Day. A day dedicated to YOU. A day dedicated to doing the things YOU love and finding personally fulfilling. 

So, on March 16th 2015, we announced the first official ME day! 

Take A Vacation (ME) Day

A year later, once again, in honor of the second annual ME Day, .ME was urging people all around the world to reclaim their personal time. We incentivized everyone to go ahead and take a vacation! 

Did you know that taking a vacation increases work performance? Well, we did. And the people who took our advice can confirm that.

The second annual ME Day was really a social movement that encouraged busy parents, young professionals, and business owners to rediscover what really matters in life. 

We encouraged everyone to celebrate the day however and wherever they pleased. Whether it was relaxing at home, reading a book, going on a day trip, going to a spa, gardening, or doing charity work. Or, simply, taking a guilt-free nap!

Celebrate YOU

Over the following years, we continued with reminders that we all deserve to be celebrated! We kept reminding everyone to slow down. 

You will agree, everyone deserves to take at least one day a year to honor their accomplishments, appreciate their unique personalities, and reconnect with their core values. This is the inspiration behind the concept of #MEday – a day when we may all unleash our inner superheroes, share our abilities with the world, or simply take some time to recharge. 

And we have received great support over the years. People just enjoyed this special day. It truly became (y)our favorite holiday! 

One year, we motivated people to take care of themselves in a way that worked so well for us and made us smile – by using GIFs. And on March 16th 2019, 5-year jubilee of ME Day, we organized an Instagram photo contest. What you had to do was make an Instagram post about that one thing that recharges you the most OR what you consider your perfect ME-day moment. Winners were getting a $100, $150 or $200 Amazon gift card! 

And indeed, all this helped many people in our community become more aware that the best thing you could do for others is to take care of yourself. This goes for today, every day, and forever.

Our Favorite Holiday – ME Day

And here we are. It’s 2023, and we have been through A LOT over the past few years. Our health became a priority. Finally! Both mental and physical. We learned that nothing is more important. Hopefully, you are having some ‘me time’ every once in a while. And in case you are one of those who still can’t seem to take time for themselves, this is the sign you’ve been asking for! 

Now, how exciting this is! We can’t wait to celebrate another ME Day with you. Just a few more days, and it is here. 

Until then, friendly advice – cancel everything you have planned for the 16th and get ready to dedicate that day just to you.