Fresh and Unexpected Ways to Make Time for Yourself

Now more than ever we may feel we are doing way too much. With either working from home or having our children learning from home, let’s face it, life has changed. Some of it is for the better, and some not so much. Before you find yourself facing burnout, why not seek out fresh and unexpected ways to make time for yourself.

Create a list – Look at your calendar for the past month and write down everything you did. Generalize the list by combining shopping (for example groceries, school supplies, and holiday decorations) as one category. Some tasks won’t find their way on your calendar such as household chores, reading, helping your children with their homework, and going for a walk or doing some form of exercise not at a gym. Make sure to include those tasks on your list.

Divide – Take the list and now divide it into what you WANT to do vs. what HAVE to do.

Evaluate – Carefully review the category of what you WANT to do. Ask yourself whether each task adds actual value to your life. If it doesn’t, let it go. Now, look at the HAVE to do category. Really scrutinize it to determine whether what you think you have to do is real. How much are you able to delegate or even totally eliminate it. A perfect example would be does the house really have to be scoured, not merely cleaned every week? Would your husband by chance be able to drop off or pick up your child from activities or school?

Schedule – One of the best ways to ensure you accomplish both tasks that you HAVE to do and those you WANT to do is to map them out in your calendar. You need to start by putting in the HAVE to do items first or they may not get done. Then look at the list of the things you want to do and schedule them. Make sure you aren’t scheduled every single minute of the day; otherwise, you can be sure that you are setting yourself up for burnout. If you find this to be the case, you need to delegate, delete, or re-evaluate each of the items on your WANT to and HAVE to lists.

Please do make time for yourself. Try to picture yourself relaxing by taking a long hot bath, or going to a lake, ocean, or pond to breathe in the good fresh air and to be near water. Taking time for yourself will make you a happier, more productive, and more balanced person.

Photo: Pixabay