One of the biggest challenges that women tell me they have is finding time for themselves. A job or business alone can put us under a lot of pressure but many of us also have the additional demands of children, elderly parents or charity commitments etc, etc.
When it comes to finding time for yourself my advice is to start by changing your thinking about it.
I know that women and mums especially can be quite passive when it comes to “finding time”. Instead you must be more assertive and TAKE time. Remember assertive is NOT the same as aggressive!
I know that taking time for yourself is not easy but I also know that when something is TRULY important to us we get it done. Nothing will change unless you are pro-active.
My advice is always:
1 | Plan time out regularly – Short 5 minute breaks to “take stock” and focus on our breathing when we are in the middle of chaos are great for helping us to be more productive but also plan out activities that help you to recharge your batteries, whether it is a relaxing soak, a date night or a weekend away.
2 | Treat your timeout as important, make it unmoveable. Time out is not a luxury or selfish, it is essential. Our bodies can handle chaos so long as we also have periods of calm. When we have constant chaos we eventually burnout, our immune system starts to let us down and forces us to take time out.
3 | Tell people your plans and make sure they know how important it is. You obviously don’t need to tell people about the 5 minute breaks but for things like a weekend away or even a relaxing bath make sure loved ones know that you ARE NOT available at that time.
4 | ASK for and ACCEPT support don’t try to be superwoman. If you think that you “should” be able to cope with everything then you are wrong! If you had a daughter who came to you in 20-30 years’ time and her life was mirroring yours, what advice would you give her?
Taking 5 mins time out to read this