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We often say that we need to take time for ourselves. Totally makes sense. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we could negatively impact our wellness and wellbeing. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how will we be able to take care of others that might rely on us. But saying we need to take care of ourselves and actually doing it are two different things. Today, I want to talk about a few of the ways that you can make time for yourself.
Use your self-talk in a positive way. This is very easy to say and difficult to do. You deserve dedicated time for yourself. Don’t let guilt keep you from taking care of yourself. When you take care of you … it has a positive impact on your personal and professional life. So taking time for yourself isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
Identify what you want time for. It could be helpful to identify the types of things you’d like to do with your “me” time. Maybe it’s a hobby like art, reading, or playing a game. Or some form of exercise. Possibly a class you’ve been wanting to take. If you figure out something you want to do, the next step becomes easier … which is identifying how much time it will take.
Figure out the right amount of “me” time. Let’s say that one of the activities you’d like to do is take a class. There’s a MOOC (massive open online course) on edX about “The Science of Happiness” that looks intriguing. It’s self-paced but the course is 8-weeks with an estimated time commitment of 4-5 hours each week. Now you know how much time you’re trying to find to comfortably take this course.
Look at your calendar. Before just giving up and saying that you don’t have time to add anything to your schedule, take a look at your current time commitments. Are there things on your calendar that you can comfortably get rid of? Or if you can’t completely eliminate them, can you shift them for a while to do something else? We recently discussed in our productivity series the Eisenhower Matrix. Maybe use it to look at some activities and determine if they’re urgent and/or important so you can make time for yourself.
Schedule it. If you want to make time for yourself, schedule it. Don’t apologize for it. That being said, we do have to be realistic about when we schedule things and not overwhelming our calendar. That can impact our wellness and wellbeing. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with blocking off time to do something just for you. If you don’t want people to know that you’re blocking off time for yourself, find some phrase you can use that only you will know.
Set boundaries. Personally, I think we all need to set boundaries. That doesn’t mean we need to have a lot of boundaries or that we can’t occasionally move them. But do have some. If we use the example above and you’re taking a class, maybe something comes up and you’re unable to attend the session live and have to listen to it afterward. Or if you’re taking a class and something else comes up, maybe you say “no”, which leads us to our last point.
Find your own way of saying “no”. Some people are really good at saying no, others not so much. You have to figure out what category you fall into and manage it. Honestly, sometimes it makes sense to adjust your schedule. Other times, it’s best to decline. Maybe go back to that Eisenhower Matrix – is it urgent and / or important? The answer could help you decide the best reply.
Managing our time well is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. Yes, there will be days when we’re stacked with meetings and a very long to-do list. But realistically, that shouldn’t be every day. For our wellness and wellbeing, we need to find time to do things that will allow us to rest and also energize. That will prepare us to be our best for the long days ahead.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Anaheim, CA
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