We all need time to restore, recharge, and rejuvenate to heal, to grow, and to thrive. We all need more time for better self care, so how do we find more time really?? Keep reading for great ideas to help busy moms find more time!!
Disclaimer: This article has resources about restoring wellness, and is based on my research and my experiences. This information is not meant to take the place of counseling or therapy. If at any time you feel uncomfortable or need to talk to someone, wellness resources may be helpful.
Struggle to Find Time for Self Care
The struggle is real… finding time for self care is difficult!
Have you felt the struggle?
Feeling overwhelmed?
I think I have felt the most overwhelmed when I’m running out of time, and there’s still so much to do. When time is running out, and I feel the pressure to finish my to do list.
That’s when I would lose my temper with my kids or lose patience with myself.
Feeling hurried, being late, and running out of time causes stress on ourselves and on those around us.
Running Out of Time
I remember as a young mother when I realized that I lost my patience with my children in the mornings as we scurried around trying to get ready for school.
Those mornings I was running behind were the times I felt overwhelmed and knew we were going to be late.
I did not like the way I talked to my kids when I felt hurried, I was not proud of my impatience nor the way I handled the whole ordeal.
My lack of time management and lack of planning caused chaos in scheduling and emotions, as well as hectic relationships.
I would feel so overwhelmed when I felt hurried. It can be difficult to focus on what’s really important, especially when if may feel like there’s never enough time.
So, what do we do?
Just So Tired
The other aspect that makes it hard to manage time is when I’m really tired. Fatigue causes my brain to be foggy, my emotions to be extra sensitive, and my body to be sluggish.
Many of us struggle with feeing tired and balancing work and rest.
Lost In Chaos
When your responsibilities seem out of control and chaotic, or your dreams seem unattainable, there are great time management skills that could be helpful.
Setting Boundaries Protects Time
Setting boundaries with time management can bring order to your goals and help prioritize your to-do list.
How do you protect your time?
Using time management skills actually helps you protect time for what’s most important in your life.
The more you use good time management, the more protected your time will be for what’s important!
Doubting if this is true? Well, why not try one skill for 30 days and see if it helps? Note: it takes 30 days to break a habit, and 30 days to create a new habit. So, see if after 30 days you notice some improvement?
Benefits of Finding More Time
Want to find more time?
Good news!! There are time management skills that we can all learn and improve to give us more time!!
Benefits of time management skills taught in this blog article:
- Find more free time
- Reach your goals
- Improve relationships
- Increase productivityat work and home
- Greater satisfactionin life
- Gain more energy
- More time for self care and hobbies!
Want to find time?
Manage time better = Better self care
Great time management skills can help you with better self care, handle responsibilities smoother, and find ways to live your life to the fullest!!
Want time for self care?
Managing your time can help you find the time for self care in your daily routine, says Suzanne Brown of Mompowerment.com. Brown shares time management tips for moms, parents, and any hard-working adults that can help you find more time in your day for self care.
Ways to Find More Time
Time Batching
Time Batching is grouping similar items and focusing on one group at a time. Suzanne uses the Pomodor method of working 25 minutes and taking a 5-minute break. Those breaks can refresh your mind to work harder and faster. For more details on how to block time, read the blog post: Create More Time.
Peak Efficiency Times
Peak efficiency times are the best times to work. Well, this could help a lot of people!! Are you a morning person, if so, choose the morning time to work. Are you a night person, then maybe working later in the afternoon or evening might be your best time.
Choose to do your best work at your peak time, when you are most efficient. Try a few different times and take note when you work more efficiently.
Slow Cooking
Slow cooking can save you time and cleaning, it’s putting a whole meal in one pot and it magically cooks it in a few hours. So by supper time, your meal is all ready. Look at my Pinterest Recipes board for more slow cooking ideas to help you balance work and wellness.
Special Toys
Special Toys to keep your little ones busy so you can get things done. This is one of the best tips when you have little children around you who want your time usually when you need to take a phone call or cook supper for your hungry family.
Special Toy Time Equals Undisturbed Time for Mom!
Want to make that important phone call? Or make supper?
Create a special box of toys, and only bring this special box down when you really need uninterrupted time to focus on 1-2 specific tasks. I used to have a special box at the top of a closet that I would pull out about the time I needed to make supper and return phone calls.
It doesn’t work if you pull down the special box more than once a day, then it’s not really special, it’s just a part of their everyday toys. Save this special box for a special time for your children and yourself.
This way, this special toy box is reserved for special play time. You will get time for specific uninterrupted tasks and your children will get their special play time.
Consider this as self care for your children, they will love it when you bring out these special toys for your children.
Remember, this special toy box is to be used for really important tasks, save it for when you really need it. If it’s overused, it will lose it’s special uniqueness and the kids will grow bored of it.
Special Toys Ideas:
- Play dough, plastic table cloth, tools to use with play dough: plastic knifes (not sharp), rollers, cups, child-safe cookie cutters
- Miniature house, cars, and people for children can play for long time creating their own stories.
- Toy animals your children likes to play with: plastic dinosaurs, cats, dogs, fish, snakes, farm animals, wild zoo animals
- Sensory bin: foam shapes, shoe box of fuzzy balls and measuring cups, bendable pipe cleaners, plastic container with beans and tools to play with (spoons, measuring cups, funnels, plastic animals).
Redefine The New Self Care
Harvard Business Review writer, Amy Jen Su, encourages leaders to redefine self care as more than just physical health. Amy describes viewing time from different perspectives as also being helpful in increasing self care.
How do you define self care?
Broaden your definition of self care while you consider what is important to you, what you’re attuned to, and what you need to be your most effective and authentic self.
- Consider what is important to you for self care?
- What do you need to be your most effective and authentic self?
- What brings you joy?
- How do you nourish yourself or how could you nourish yourself?
- In what ways could you invest in yourself?
Basics of Self Care
Pay attention to your mind, emotions, relationships, environment, resources, and time. Mindfully pay attention to your body and see what it needs.
Our bodies need the basics to survive,
and self care to thrive.
Beth @ MooreWellness.Life
Are you getting the basics: a good night’s sleep, nourishing foods, plenty of water, shelter to rest, clothes to keep comfortable?
If your body is missing basic needs and physically deplenished, this will effect everything you do.
Feel sluggish?
You may feel sluggish and tired without enough sleep, brain fog and sick without healthy nourishing foods, and dehydrated and headaches without enough water.
If you are missing basic needs, then it’s important to start with the basics first.
Basic self care is the only way you’ll have energy to strive towards bigger self care goals.
Beth | MooreWellness.Life
Once you have the basics down for self care, mindfully pay attention to your mind, emotions, and spirit. Do you have close friendships, mental challenges, spiritual calmness?
- What does your mind, emotions, and spirit need?
- How could your environment and resources support self care?
Self Care = Self Compassion
Being compassionate to yourself can help you bounce back through tough times faster.
Self care is another way to say self love.
The more you love yourself, the more you will love others!
Beth | MooreWellness.Life
Love Self = Love Others
The more you practice loving yourself, the more you will want to love others.
- How can you be compassionate to yourself? Today?
- In what ways can you show yourself love?
- What would help you bounce back faster through tough times?
Self Care = Honors Self
Self care includes honoring the value, impact, and contribution you bring.
You are valuable!
- How do you honor yourself?
- What type of self care would honor yourself?
Take time for yourself just as you take time for your children.
Teaching your children how to manage time will also teach them how to manage themselves.
Your children will learn to take care of themselves, just as you show them how you take care of yourself.
The more your children practice self care, the better they will bounce back from adversity and love others, because they know how to love themselves.
At-home Retreat: Panic to Peace
Just for you, our wellness experts have created a guide to walk you step-by-step through calming coping skills to soothe and transform panic to peace.
- BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM with peaceful practices
- SPIRITUAL PRACTICES: TAI CHI EASY video & script
- RELAXING MEDITATION video for all ages, including a scriptFAMILY ACTIVITIES for all ages
- MINDFULNESS ART video with peaceful music
- DIY SELF CARE peace kit
All these peaceful practices can be found in this online At-home Retreat: Panic to Peace.
At-home Retreat: Panic to Peace
More Self Care Resources
Improve Mental Health with More Time
If you enjoyed this article, great!! There are 3 more articles related that may help you improve your mental health even more… creating more time through boundaries (article #2), creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals (article #3), and finding peak time and space (article #4). See below for the links.
Series: Time Management
- Time Management Skills Improve Self Care: How managing time helps you manage & improve self care.
***THIS BLOG POST*** - Create More Time with Time Boundaries: How to create more time in your routine, in your day, and in your health.
- S.M.A.R.T. Goals: How to set achievable S.M.A.R.T. goals.
- What is Your Peak Time? How to accomplish your mental health goals by finding your peak time & space.
More Time = More Self Care
I hope this journey of improving your time management skills helps you find more time for your self-care and your wellness.
I’d love to hear from you, please leave me a comment, or join me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Blessings,
Beth
P.S. If you need someone to help to talk to, counselors and mental health professionals can help provide support resources on:
- time management
- stress management
- procrastination
- relaxation skills
- goal setting
- personal development
Graphics and article ©2020 Moore Wellness, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Source link: https://moorewellness.life/find-time-self-care/ by Beth Moore at moorewellness.life