How do we make time for the most important person of all, ourselves?
Life is moving at a faster pace than ever, so it’s important to your overall wellbeing that you concentrate on yourself, allowing time to relax and enjoy life. To do this, you need to make time just for you. So here are some suggestions to help you achieve this.
Wake up early
The easiest way to make time is probably the least appealing. If there aren’t enough hours in your day, make more. An extra hour can give you opportunity to read, get some chores out the way or just sit in silence and relax with a cup of coffee. So waking up earlier should help you be more proactive – it’s a win-win! For those of you who struggle with the dark mornings though, try a SAD light that will illuminate your room with a cheat sun rise, perfect for those who wake early.
Establish a routine
Waking up in the morning and going to bed at the same time every night is a good place to start. When we have no structure we can easily become distracted and procrastinate – we’ve all sat down for 30 minutes of TV that’s turned into three hours. If you plan a routine with a bit of flexibility, you should be able to complete all your chores, whether that’s ironing, cooking dinner or cleaning the bathroom – and you should be able to set aside time for wellbeing, too.
Put down electronics
This one’s obvious. Much of our lives can be spent in front of a screen, so it’s good to take a break every now and then. As well as being anti-social, they can be time consuming – try taking notice of how many times a day you check your phone, we think you’ll be very surprised. So, set aside some time where you don’t use any of these as time spent in the moment with your own thoughts can be far more rewarding.
Plan in advance
Most days don’t always go to plan, as often the time you set aside for yourself is replaced with unexpected chores – like running out of clean clothes or having to iron a shirt for a last minute meeting. Try booking tickets to an event, whether it’s the cinema, theatre or a gig as this will help you to take that time out as you’ve already committed. Why not try treating yourself to a meal with a friend?
Leave work on time
This one may seem impossible for many of us, as more of us are working longer hours than ever before – meaning we have less time to unwind at night. Leaving work on time just once a week is a brilliant opportunity to put you first. Just make sure you don’t take any work home with you!
Rethink the things that waste your time
Do you find yourself nipping to the supermarket every day to pick up dinner? Are you checking work emails when you’ve clocked off? Do you sit in traffic when it would be quicker to walk? When we look back at our day, we all agree that our time could have been better spent. Try doing the whole week's shopping in one go or leave your work at work just one night a week. Making a little change could free up a lot of time.
Delegate
What’s the quickest way to free up your schedule? Have someone else do the tasks you’re too busy to do. We’re all responsible for taking too much on, both at work and at home. How about instead of completing that report alone, ask a colleague to help. Is everyone waiting on dinner when you get home? Ask them to start preparing or even to cook one night a week. For those who are really on board with this, have your food shopping delivered or hire a cleaner!
Exercise
We all know we’re supposed to make time for this and we can all find it difficult. For those of us who avoid the gym; walking or cycling to work can give you plenty of time to think. If you’re a regular exerciser, try varying how you use your workout time. Switching between music, podcasts and letting your mind wander as you go will give you time to think about you, as well as being a great way to relieve stress and get healthy!
Monthly treat
A month seems like an exhaustingly long time, until you look back and can’t see where it went. Treating yourself just once a month, whether for a whole weekend or squeezed into your lunch break, is the perfect way to take time back that would normally pass before you know it. Just make sure you do set the time aside!
Say no!
Quite often a tricky one – especially if you suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out)! By saying “no” to plans that you don’t really need (or want to) attend means you can concentrate on yourself. Maybe you’d rather take a bath and read a book than go on a night on the town, so take some time for yourself by pampering yourself instead. We’ve all been out and all we can think about is being back home, lying on the sofa watching TV. The key to making this work and improving your wellbeing is putting yourself first.
You’ll only need to try out a couple of these steps to find new ways of making time for yourself. Trust us, you’ll never look back after getting that much needed ‘me’ time.
