If the only time you have for yourself is when you sleep then you’ve got to seriously make a few changes to the way you’re living.
Women tend to take care of everyone else before they even consider prioritizing their needs. We’re naturally very giving. We give a piece of ourselves to our partners, children and work and very often there’s not much left for us. If you tend to feel guilty taking time for yourself then come in a little closer because I have a secret for you, it’s 100% okay if you start making time for you. Let me frame this for you. Think back to a time in your life when you didn’t have any responsibilities or worries. Can you remember that time? Do you remember when all you had to do was worry about what you were wearing and when you were hanging out with your friends? It was probably when you were a teen. Now it may be hard to remember but if you think about it teens tend to be able to put themselves first right? But what happens to the ability to do that? Life’s responsibilities. But here’s the important part, you can’t take care of all of your responsibilities in your life if you’re not doing a very good job of taking care of you. You can get by for a while but it does catch up to you. Let’s put guilt and excuses aside and put yourself in the position of taking care of you again. You can start with these easy steps:
- Set Aside Time: Whether it’s first thing in the morning or the end of the day. If you don’t have any extra time in your day then you need to find that time first. Once you find it then you can decide how you want to spend it.
- Make a List: Decide what you’d like to do with your time. More time for your self-care? Time with friends? Exercise? Simply list what you’d like to do
- Delegate: If you’re doing EVERYTHING then little by little pass some things on to others. If you tend to do it all at work then you probably do the same at home. What can you delegate to others?
- Distractions: Limit them! Is t.v. important or eating dinner with your family without distractions? Do you need to answer the phone every time it rings or can you wait and return a call when you’re done with an activity?
These are very basic time management tips but you need to start somewhere. Begin thinking about how you’ll feel when you have more time for you. Maybe less stressed, more relaxed and generally happy. It’s okay for you to put yourself first, you need to take care of you.
Do you tend to take care of everyone else before you take care of yourself? What can you do for yourself today to start taking better care of yourself?
