Obtain balance between your personal life and your work life.
The importance of finding time for yourself is as important as any other item on your task list.
The time you spend for yourself does not mean it has to be by yourself. It simply means that you are engaging in tasks that serve no other purpose but to make you happy.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
The first task in making time for yourself is to understand what it is that makes you happy. Perhaps you enjoy gardening, painting or dancing, but haven’t done so in a while because your plate is already full.
It may have been a long time since you have engaged in your favourite activities. If so, this is an indicator that it is time to reclaim some of your own time!
WHO'S ALONG FOR THE RIDE?
Depending on your situation, the time you set aside for yourself may simply be for quiet reflection. Or it may be white water rafting.
No matter what activity you choose for your personal time, decide if you want to include any others in it. You may wish to include your children in your activity to teach them a new skill. Or you might want to include your spouse to have additional quality time together. There are no right or wrong answers.
FINDING THE TIME
Organizing the time for yourself can be a challenge in itself if you have a full schedule. If you are disorganized, organizing your time [10 Ways to Organize Your Time] may give you a better picture of how much free time you have.
You may need to scale back some of your commitments if you find you are overextended. If you plan to spend your personal time with your children, perhaps you can appropriate some of their allocated time. If you take your children to the park every day, make one of those trips to a botanical garden instead.
OPPOSE GUILT
Sometimes family members will try and make you feel guilty about taking time for yourself. They may fear change, feel they do not have free time, or wonder about your commitment to the family.
Encourage these individuals to find their own time. Dissuade their fears by explaining to them why you need to focus on yourself from time to time. Do not let them guilt you into giving up your time to serve them.
If you find that you have difficulty justifying your needs to yourself or family, consider speaking with a life coach. Your coach can help you find tools to set personal boundaries, balance your life, and manage your time.
STICK WITH IT!
Giving up your free time is how you found yourself where you are today. Once you have found the time for yourself, stick with it. Make a commitment to yourself to engage in a weekly amount of time allocated to yourself. Once it becomes part of your routine, you will likely find a much greater sense of self and security. You will find yourself more productive when you give yourself some downtime.
Many of us feel guilty about incorporating time for ourselves in our regular routine. This personal time gives your mind and body a chance to catch up with you, and to release the stress that builds in us all.
Whether you are going to use your time to jump out of a plane, or read a book alone in a quiet room, you know what it is you need to do. Listen to your needs and grow with them!
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