You may feel that you don’t have enough quality time for your family or solitary activities. The trouble is that not having time for those things can leave you feeling stressed and unhappy. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts When you have time for yourself, you can:
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People, particularly introverts, need time to rest and regroup, and the amount of necessary downtime increases during times of stress. In other words, the more stressed you are, the more you need that downtime. If you would like to increase your level of happiness and life satisfaction this year, one of the best changes you can make is to find more time in your schedule for a life that reflects what you’d really like to be doing.
Are you watching several hours of TV per day? Could you be more efficient at work? Are there things on your schedule that could be dropped without serious ramifications? Could you delegate some responsibilities to free up more time?
This can be a bit tricky because you may need to have some of that extra time just to decompress. You don’t want to force yourself to be operating at full capacity 24 hours a day when you may need to relax with a rerun now and then. You might also find that you are spending time on things like social media out of habit rather than out of a need for a break. Or you might be wasting time in ways that you don’t actually enjoy without realizing it. Dropping some of these time-wasters can yield you some extra time that can be used in better ways. Allowing someone else to take over a task can bring added benefits. They may find that they’re better at it than they thought they would be (or than you thought they would be). They may also enjoy the feeling of helping out. At the very least, it could bring a sense of teamwork.
Re-assigning cleaning responsibilities to children, for example, can free up time normally spend on housework and foster a sense of responsibility in your kids at the same time. Hiring help with tasks that really drain you can often leave you with enough extra time and energy that it’s more than worth the expenditure.
Do you just want to avoid feeling like you’re letting someone else down?Do you tend to convince yourself that you have limitless time in your schedule, then find yourself with time for everyone else but you?
Decline requests may bring some fallout, but it’s often worth it. Saying no becomes much easier with practice. “I like to remind people that sometimes saying no also means saying yes to you, or those activities you want to do, " explains Rachel Goldman, PhD, a psychologist and clinical assistant professor at the NYU School of Medicine. Some ways to carve out time for yourself (even when you are busy):
Set boundaries and make sure that other people know they are not allowed to interrupt during your downtime. Prioritize and get the “must do” tasks done early so that you have more free time to work with. Work on creating a tranquil space that you can enjoy, whether it involves making a playlist of your favorite songs or de-cluttering a room to make space for your hobbies. Work on turning your “me time” into a habit, and make it part of your regular routine.
Incorporating your downtime activities into your day means you are more likely to actually have time for them. Some ideas for a quick break include:
Practice deep breathing Do a short meditation Stretch Do some challenging brain games Have a healthy snack Write in a gratitude journal Read a book or magazine article Chat with a friend
Don’t wait until you reach the point where you feel like you simply cannot take it anymore. When you feel like you need a break, walk away for a few moments to clear your head, even if it’s just to relax a few minutes with a cup of coffee or enjoy a stroll around the block. Goldman also suggests considering what are known as micro-practices. “If someone truly doesn’t think they have time to take these mini-breaks they can start by doing them while they are doing something else. For example, while washing your hands or cooking, take some deep breaths,” she explains. “We want to make this part of our lifestyle so we don’t get burnt-out. Practicing some me-time and self-care can help prevent the stress from getting to a place that is unmanageable,” she suggests. The key is to prioritize your downtime. Don’t leave it as something that might happen if you are able to accomplish everything else on your busy schedule. Instead, intentionally set aside some time each week to do the things that you want to do.
