Does it seem like you don’t have enough time in the day to take some time out for yourself? Do you always feel like you are rushing to get everything done each day and that you never have time to just relax and do what you love?
That’s the same problem a lot of people have these days, especially with work life invading their personal time. If you are hoping to carve out some time to yourself each day, then here are some suggestions that have helped other people do just that.
1. Schedule a Cutoff Time for Work
There has to be a separation of our work life and your personal life. If you are always letting your work invade your privacy and your “me time”, then you never really have any time to yourself. If your work could interfere with your relaxation time at any moment, how fully relaxed can you be? What will help is to set a reasonable time to end your work for the day every day. Pick a time and stick to it, letting your employer or clients know that this is when you are considered off hours. You can make exceptions from time to time, of course, but as a general rule, you should not let your work invade your personal time that you have set aside.
2. Get Help with the House Chores
A lot for your personal time may be taken up with keeping your home tidy, especially if you have a large house, you live with other people, or you just like to keep things really, really neat. If any of those sound like you, then you should probably consider giving yourself a break every now and then. Professional maids can make things easier on you, tidying up in your home and giving you more time to yourself. You may not want to hire out the housework every day or every week, but doing it occasionally can free up some extra time in your schedule and make you feel like you are on a mini vacation. That could be really good for your mental health and wellbeing.
3. When You Cook, Make Plenty
Do you do a lot of cooking for yourself for your family? You may feel like you are always spending your free time in the kitchen, cooking up for some meal or another. It might seem like the kitchen duties never end. To make things a bit easier on you and lighten your workload, you can cook up large quantities of food at one time. Instead of making a single serving of rice when you cook, make up enough rice for the week. You can always refrigerate or even freeze the extra, taking it out when you need it. Instead of a single serving pizza, make a large pizza or several pizzas so that you can go back for leftovers throughout the week. By freezing some of the food for months down the line, you won’t feel like you are eating the same thing all week long. By cooking up large quantities at once, you will cut down on how much time you spend in the kitchen, giving you more time for yourself.
4. Schedule Playdates
If you have kids, then you know that they can be a handful sometimes. As much as you love them, it can be good for you to get a break from them sometimes. Your kids will probably love a change of scenery, and if you schedule playdates with the kids of friends and family members, you can get some time to yourself. Think of it as babysitting but without the cost. If you spend quality time with your kids each day, then there is no need to feel guilty about taking some time for yourself by setting up an occasional playdate for the kids. You will probably both benefit from the arrangement.
5. Eliminate Distractions
This tip is more about getting quality free time rather than extending your free time, but that’s important too. When you take time for yourself, you should feel like you are able to focus on you and your needs. That won’t happen if you are constantly being distracted or there is a risk that you will be distracted. One of the best things you can do for yourself when you take free time is to turn off your devices occasionally. You can eliminate a lot of distractions by going someplace quiet, shutting down your internet or internet-enabled devices, and just spending some quiet time without the chance that anyone will interrupt you. You can even post to social media that you will be taking the time for yourself and would appreciate no texts or calls during that time. You might be surprised at how much more relaxing your free time is then.
6. End Some Commitments
We can get really tied up in our commitments sometimes, and it may be good for you to call it quits on some of them. Not all of the things you committed to really need to be seen to the end. Its’s important to figure out what is vital and what isn’t, and you may need to tell friends, colleagues or employers that you simply won’t be able to do that thing you told them you would do. It’s okay to take time for yourself, for your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Most people will understand if you just need some personal time, so don’t feel compelled to finish everything you start or follow through on everything you said you would do. You should communicate with people that you won’t be able to do whatever it is you are giving up, but don’t feel guilty about having to change your plans sometimes.
We hope these tips help you make some extra time for yourself each day and make the most of the time you have.