Expert Tips That Will Help You Find More Time For Self-Care (2 of 2)

Create your own rituals

If you’ve noticed carefully, every person who manages to carve time out for self-care usually has their own rituals that help them in keeping up with their goals. And while everyone knows that staying away from gadgets as much as possible is probably the best thing to do, it isn’t the easiest thing to accomplish for sure. Kirsten Carriol, CEO of Lano suggests that the best way to overcome that is to remove the social media apps on the weekends at least. That way, you wouldn’t have the temptation to go through your social media newsfeed and can instead devote some quality time for practicing mindfulness or cooking some delicious recipes. And technology can be good as well if you know how to use it for your advantage. For instance, you can listen to some great podcasts while you are driving to your office, she says. You can use this time to expand on your knowledge and grow as an individual, without being overwhelmed.

Another great way to have some sort of a ritual is to create a weekly appointment with yourself. Patricia Wexler, a New York based dermatologist says that women fail to find time for self-care, even though they are good at multitasking where they spend over 45 hours a week at the office, reading emails, managing their social media presence, teaching, and also spending some quality time with families. The best workaround is to focus on making those ‘mini me time’ – and it needs to be sacrosanct. No one should disturb with a call or any kind of stress during that “me” time. In fact, most of the times you can just create a mental boundary and stick to it, which will definitely free you from your other activities for at least some time.

Make the most out of your insane work schedule

Having a long work week isn’t something that should deter you from making time for yourself. In fact, if you are creative about it, it can even help you to your advantage. Founder of Coveteur, Stephanie Mark explains that since she finds her schedule extremely busy, she often tries to combine her work and self-care in order to keep herself full of energy and stamina that allows her to work to her full potential. And the best way to do that is to make full use of your work trips. Stephanie shares that she usually blocks off a night during each of her work trips and simply watches TV in the hotel room. And it works for her.

Sounds pretty good, right? Even if your job doesn’t require you to commute to other places, you can find a number of different ways to make that me-time for yourself. For instance, you can set up lunch with your colleagues, or go for solo lunches where you don’t have a phone or email in front of you. And even if you make as little as fifteen minutes a day, that is a good start and can have a great effect on you.

Set a goal

If everything else fails, then you should go for the goal-based method to find time for self-care. Reebok trainer Julie Foucher explains that since exercise is the most important part of her time, it is all the easier to lose track and find it slip down the priority list unless she fully commits to it. So, how does she manage that? She signs up for future events and races and that keeps her accountable to train hard for that goal on a regular basis, she further adds.

And while it is an exercise for someone like Julie, it can be anything for other people. For instance, if it is reading that makes you feel relaxed, then try to set a goal of reading x number of books by the end of the month. Similarly, if your meditation is something that helps you be at ease with yourself, then try to increase your sessions to fifteen minutes a day instead of the usual five. You can apply this to virtually anything and make time for self-care on a regular basis.

We hope these tips will help you make time for your self-care routine. Remember, no matter how busy your schedule is, your “me” time is the single most important thing that will keep you on track and help you enjoy life to the fullest. Stay safe, and stay happy.