We’re all busy and this could put prioritizing rest and self-care pretty low on the priority list. Most of us work 8 hours per day, spend up to an hour commuting to work, and are also responsible for other tasks such as cleaning, making dinner, picking up kids, etc.
Then, factor in the fact that most adults need at least 7-8 hours sleeping each night, I’m spending about half of my life working and sleeping.
Freeing up your schedule to make more time for yourself requires effort, but your ‘me time’ and peace of mind is definitely worth it. Here are 4 ways to make it happen.
Reschedule Your Schedule
Using some type of planner, organizer, or spreadsheet to keep yourself organized is a must. I usually jot down things I need to do each day in my planner and then check them off when I’ve completed them. It’s safe to say that 90% of the things I write down have little to do with spending time with myself and relaxing.
First, find something that you want to do alone whether it’s meditating, going for a run, making pottery, reading or doing a craft. Then, instead of organizing your day around your biggest work tasks, organize your day around that one activity so that it’s prioritized and officially in your schedule. Gotta make it official in order to have time for it!
Related: How to Use the Living Well Planner to Meet Your Goals
Take 10
Take 10 minutes each day to get organized. Figure out what errands you need to run, who you need to call, and what absolutely needs to be done throughout the week and how you plan to do it. Taking a few minutes to organize your thoughts and plan your next move could literally save you hours.
I always waste the most time when I’m feeling unorganized and haven’t planned out my day properly. A 10-minute mandatory reset easily fixes this.
Get Comfortable With Saying No
No is a hard word for some people, but it’s necessary because you can’t do everything for everyone. Get comfortable with saying no so you can have more time for yourself and other priorities.
Think of it this way. Every time you say no to something you didn’t want to do or simply don’t have time for, it means you’re saying yes to something else (Ie. Yourself). Try to help others in a way that’s comfortable and realistic for you. Then, if something doesn’t fit with your schedule, be okay with the word no.
The more you practice this, the easier it will get and you’ll feel better for it.
Plan a Solo Date
Have you ever has a solo date before? A solo date is just like a regular date, only with yourself. You can go somewhere or stay right at home. Plan to eat your favorite meal or do an activity that you enjoy. Try to steer away from watching a movie and truly take the time to enjoy your own company.
You can paint, draw, go for a walk or try out an indoor rock climbing gym. Solo dates can allow you to reflect on what’s important and say yes to the things you value.
Related: Self-Care: My New Not So Guilty Pleasure to Spend Money On
Outsource, Delegate Tasks
Do you ever feel like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew? I’ll admit, I have my overachiever/people-pleasing moments. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and short on time constantly it may be time to get some help. Think about what tasks you can outsource or delegate to others. This may involve hiring some help to free up your time, but it also doesn’t have to involve spending money at all.
Do you have friends or family who help you out? Can your spouse or significant other split up tasks with you? I know when I first started blogging, I felt overwhelmed with setting everything up and the whole idea of keeping up on social media (primarily Twitter and updating Pinterest constantly).
So I reached out to my little sister for help. Yup, my little sis saved the day 🙂 Teens have more free time and less worries and they are masters at social media surprisingly.
Another big secret is that even though I’m in charge of keeping our grocery budget low and planning meals, I don’t cook dinner every night. If I had to come home from work and cook dinner every single day I’d be a hot mess. A few months back I ended up teaching Ray how to cook some of our favorite meals and he’s gotten pretty good.
Whoever gets home first usually gets dinner going. We usually split up cooking and chores each week so neither of us get overwhelmed with housework. It’s definitely a team effort.
Related: Frugal Meal Ideas That Are Easy to Prep
How I Outsource to Save Time and Money
Eliminate Distractions and Time Wasting Activities
Getting caught up in time wasting activities is a big ongoing issue for me. Sometimes I’m checking Facebook or even my email and it ends up being a 20-30 minute browsing session. Big waste of time!
Another major distraction is when I’m writing at home and watching T.V. I’m so easily distracted that I’ve ended up watching television instead of finishing up my work and it took twice as much time as I had originally planned for.
I know how productive I work when there are no distractions, so I’ve started setting a timer when I do certain things. This isn’t to rush myself, but to motivate myself to stay focused and avoid wasting any time. I also usually start with a somewhat easy task first to get myself in ‘work mode’ then I go ahead and tackle the most difficult task to get it out of the way.
If you need to deactivate social media for a while to free up your time, I’d say do it. If there are certain websites that distract you, block them for a short period of time.
Also, if there’s a certain friend (who means well) that tends to want to talk endlessly when you’re in the middle of completing something be honest but nice and let them know what you’re working on and schedule a time to talk later.
How do you make more time for yourself and what do you like to do?
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