When I was a single college student, I was busy – juggling classes and homework and dating.
A few years later, when I was a new mom busy with babies and dinner to cook and groceries to buy and a house to clean.
Now, as a mom to older kids (and teens!) I have endless work and complicated homework to supervise and help with…on top of all of the other mom duties that seem to never go away. I am busy.
No matter what my life is up to at the time, I seem to always have too many things I want to do and not enough time to fit it all in. Perfectly good tasks, like exercising or reading a good book or even getting enough sleep, get pushed to the back of the priority list in favor of those more “pressing” items.
One of the things that I appreciate most about my husband is his dedication to making sure that I get regular (and quality) me time. Whether that means taking the kids out of the house so that I can nap alone or encouraging me to fly West to visit my mom at least once a year, he has been a great supporter (and protector of my sanity!).
Although it can be tough to figure out how to fit one more thing into your already-busy schedule, there are a few simple things that you can do to ensure that you don’t neglect yourself while taking care of everyone and everything else first.
How to find ME time
Calendar it: You’d never just skip a scheduled doctor’s appointment, right? Why should it be easier to find time to fit appointments into your busy schedule than it is to fit a few minutes of exercise or recreation into your week? Pick a time (30 minutes each morning or an hour each Friday afternoon, for instance) and write Me Time onto the calendar. Not only will you have that visual reminder, but you might just begin to look at Me Time as an appointment you’re committed to keeping rather than an extra task you need to fit in.
Kids aren’t the only ones who deserve to be rewarded: When you’ve gotten a few things done, reward yourself with a good book or a relaxing walk around the block. You’ll be rejuvenated in both body and spirit, which will actually make you more likely to be productive with the rest of your busy work day.
Make a list: Because most of us lack an abundance of “free time”, perhaps one of the hardest things about dedicating precious minutes to Me Time is that we forget what makes us happy, what rejuvenates our spirits, and what we want to spend our free time doing. Make a list of things that you enjoy doing…and add a few things you’ve always wanted to try.
Don’t multi-task: I used to think that I had to multi-task to be productive. With so many responsibilities pulling me in so many different directions, I thought that I needed to have my hands in everything at once to be fair and to get it all done. What I discovered after several years of unproductive time was that multi-tasking actually killed my productivity. When I focus on one task and work til it’s done, then I not only do a better job at that task, but I have time left over for Me Time when I’m finished.
Simplify: Don’t make things harder than they need to be. Cut corners when it’s ok to cut corners (not every meal needs to be a photo-worthy gourmet masterpiece). When you find shortcuts that make your daily tasks quicker and easier, you’re saving both time and energy, freeing yourself up for more Me Time.
Speaking of simplifying, take a look at Visa Prepaid. They’re dedicated to educating parents about how easy it is to use a Visa Prepaid card. By using Visa Prepaid cards, you can save time on your daily to-do list and enjoy more Me Time. Visa Prepaid makes it easy to load funds onto your card (you can even load paychecks onto the card through direct deposit), which you can then use for Me Time treats like a new book or a girls night out. Or better yet, use your Visa Prepaid card to shop online, which means fewer trips to the store and more time relaxing at home…which is something we could all use more of.
Disclosure: I am blogging on behalf of Visa Prepaid and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Discover more at VisaPrepaid.com or view more Visa Prepaid videos at youtube.com/visaprepaid.
© 2013 – 2015, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
There was a time when I had too much me time! LOL I remember being bored a lot. No we have 3 boys, and I struggle to fit in me time. Some days it would be nice just to go potty by myself! These are some great ideas for fitting it in!