The need to set aside time for yourself is more important now than ever before. The last two years’ events have us in a state of extraordinary stress. Prioritizing our time, breathing techniques, creating margins and daily routines are essential to our wellbeing. Most importantly, we need to have downtime. When we make time for ourselves, we make time to replenish. Indeed, it is true that you can only fill the cups of others when you have filled your cup first. This article discusses How to Make time for Yourself (4 Tips).
Susan Waldenstrom, https://www.stillwatercalmcare.com/ contributed to this article.
Tip 1. Prioritize Your Time
Being connected to others is the number one determining factor of health and happiness while we age. We typically fill our schedules with so many things to do. And we have many demands of our time. Whether our business, friendships, parenting, or family obligations, it is easy to put others’ needs before our own. If we take a stand to set ourselves at the front of the line rather than back, we prioritize our self-care. In so doing, we are less stressed and have more life satisfaction.
A few fundamental changes include making a list of what needs to be done only by you in order of importance—delegate items others can do when possible. Be sure to schedule time in your planner that prioritizes your needs. Plan a trip away, leaving your work behind, and regroup.
Remember to value and prioritize time with others to have fun.
Tip 2. Relaxing Breath
Making time for yourself by breathing will bring clarity and calm. We know that it is vital to get our stress level down. Relaxing breath helps us find a clearer perspective, especially when we typically go from morning until night—4-7-8 method. This method is simply inhaling through the nose to the count of four. Hold your breath to the count of seven. Exhale through the nose to the count of 8. Repeat this about three to five rounds or until you feel more relaxed.
You can also try the Diaphragmatic breathing technique available on this video for similar relaxing results.
Practicing breathing techniques throughout the day allows us to pause. We can do it anytime or anywhere. It is a valuable tool in our stress reduction regimen. In addition, breathing techniques allow the vegas nerve to move out of a stress state of the sympathetic nervous system into the relaxed state of the parasympathetic nervous system. This process helps us to rest and digest.
Tip 3. Create Margins
Please think of the print design on paper with a lot of white space around the print. The page is uncluttered and balanced. Similarly, having margins means prioritizing our time by leaving space peaceful. When we allow room for peace, we have more balanced lives. We have margins and boundaries. We don’t say yes to everything; we know our priorities and have learned how to say no.
The benefits of creating margins are the intentional space we begin to rest and reflect.
Sometimes, we get so busy that we neglect to pay attention to the stuff we need to think through. Prioritizing our time, creating margins for rest, and reflecting allows us to make better choices that value our needs.
Tip 4. Daily Routine
Decide to create a simple morning routine that suits your liking. It need not be too long, just chosen to make it your particular time. The possibilities are endless. The beauty is in doing so you make the day special. Some options include morning meditation, breathing technique, prayer, intention, exercise, gratitude, journal entry, or morning walk. In your daily routine, pour grace on yourself. Permit yourself to do it or not. The point is to recognize you are doing something good for yourself.
The need to set aside time for yourself is more important now than ever before. The last two years’ events have us in a state of extraordinary stress. Prioritizing our time, breathing techniques, creating margins and daily routines are essential to our wellbeing. Most importantly, we need to have downtime. When we make time for ourselves, we make time to replenish. Indeed, it is true that you can only fill the cups of others when you have filled your cup first. This article discusses How to Make time for Yourself (4 Tips).
Susan Waldenstrom contributed to this article
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