5 tips to take care of No. 1
Raise your hand if you’re always last on your to do list… Yep, I thought so. I was right there with you for many, many years.
As a senior executive in a NYC PR agency, with two side hustles, a bustling social life (although that has been slacking over the last year due to the ‘vid), church choir, and family… I was used to putting myself last for a long time.
After all that time putting everyone else first, never taking time for me… making a million excuses for why I couldn’t take the time for myself. And I eventually burnt out. l learned the hard way why they say, don’t give me timing… give me TIME.
And you know what? You don’t need loads of it to yourself?
I think we build it up in our minds that “me time” is this HUGE big deal, where we’re going to be gone for hours and days on ends. And everyone will miss us, and the world will stop spinning.
NOPE.
We actually aren’t that important, first of all. So, let’s pull it back, and take our egos down a notch.
Secondly, you can get some quality “me time” in just a few minutes at a time.
Here are a few tricks that have worked for me over the years:
1: Time Block
What are calendars for, if we can’t use them to our advantage? Block off your me time! Build in breaks throughout the day. Schedule a certain time each month that’s just for you to do something nice for yourself. Schedule your workouts, your shutdown times, your playtimes.. and STICK TO IT! Don’t say, “just five more minutes.” When that notice pops up - you move on to the next task.
I particularly like color coding my calendar - work work items are in orange (sorry orange fans, but that’s my least favorite color…) one side gig is pink, one is blue… my “me time” or self-care activities, are purple - my favorite color! So it’s easy to see my day, and look forward to the moments that are just for me.
2: Use Alarms (or Music!)
If calendars aren’t your thing - you can also set timers, alarms - or even music to play so you have audible cues. Sometimes you just need somebody to tell you to get up and take a walk right? So make Alexa tell you! Or set a reminder alarm to take breaks throughout the day. Or set a timer for music to play so you have an audible cue when it’s time to start getting ready for bed. Whatever it takes to give you that little push to take those moments for yourself.
3: Make a Wish List
If you’re like me, you love lists… so make a list of all the things you’ve said “I wish I could do that.” Ove the last few months or years. The things that make you happy. That relax you, that make you feel good. That feel like a treat. Or that just plain give you your sanity back. They don’t have to be fancy. One of mine is standing up and walking away from my computer. (SIMPLE… takes a few minutes. and then I’m back).
Once you have your list - rank them in order of what are most important to you. And you can start with those to focus on.
4: Make a “What are You Really Doing” List
You’d also be surprised at how much time you actually waste. I am 100% guilty of this too. I always think multitasking will save me time (not really)… Or how many times do you start one project, get distracted by Facebook or TikTok, or the latest episode of who knows what on Netflix, and before you know it an hour has gone by and you haven’t accomplished anything?! I KNOW I’m not the only one who has experienced that particular time warp.
So, take a few days, and jot down what you’re actually spending time doing. And get rid of the things you don’t need to do, stop the distractions when there are things you HAVE to do (shut down that facebook, sit down and just get it done) so you can get it done faster.
5: Automate
We live in a wonderful world of technology. So, why not use it to our advantage! Set your prescriptions up to auto-refill and get them delivered. You can subscribe to your favorite items on Amazon that you order all the time, and it will ship to you on your schedule.
These are just a few of my favorite tips. If you want more, come on over to Facebook, and become one of my VIPs!