Have you ever felt there is not enough hours in the day? Do you find you are loosing out on sleep because you want to get just one more load of laundry done, or finally get to watch that show you have been wanting to watch? Lets see if we can change that.
In the first blog post in the Selfcare Series we looked at finding your core values. If you have not done please visit that first so this will be more meaningful.
Now that you know your key values let’s look at where you are spending your time. Take a look at your calendar / planner or just think about your week. I want to you take those things and divide them into three categories and write them down. I need to do’s, I want to do’s and I should do’s.
I need to do’s
Alright now look at all the need to do’s? Is there anything you can delegate to someone else? Can your kids or husband help with house hold chores or making dinner? Can you team up with other parents that are delivering their kids to and from activities that you can share driving? Is grocery delivery or meal prep boxes an option?
I should do’s
Let ‘s look at the should do’s . I want to you look at that list and ask what of these bring you joy? Which of these do you feel are an obligation? Anything that is an obligation you can take off your list. Look carefully, “I should go to the gym, because I want to be healthy” There is an I want in there, but if you end the because “Someone else wants me to or because someone will be disappointed then take it off the schedule. My next post on creating boundaries has some creative ideas on time management also, be sure to check it out.
I want to do’s
Does that free up some of your time now to fit in some of your I want to do’s? If you look at you I want to do’s is there some you can combine. I wanted to learn more by reading about the kids I work with but finding time to read seemed impossible, until I discovered the Audio books and Podd casts. Now I rarely listen to the radio in the car. I often have audio books going while I am in the bath, or doing the dishes. I also found that taping my favorite shows and only allowing myself one a night, surprisingly enough, freed up a lot of time in the evening. Can you read or do art while a kiddo is at a practice or therapy? Is there a way you could combine some friend time with another activity like working out?
The last thing I want to touch on is Mom/ Dad/ Grandparent guilt. The first thing you have to except is that you are not Superman or Super Girl so you cannot be everything to everyone. You have to give yourself permission to miss a practice, even one of your kid’s games for work if you love your job, or for an activity that makes you happy. I would ask your children if there is something they really want to you be there for and which ones they don’t mind you missing. You will be surprised that often they don’t mind you missing a practice.