Finding a healthy balance between time for ourselves and time spent on work and others can be tricky. If you have workaholic tendencies, like me, pulling yourself away from your tasks and turning off your busy mind can seem nearly impossible at times.
The thing is, If we do not take the time to recharge we will eventually burnout. We should never let our work take us to a point where our energy is completely drained. This past year I was forced to stop and take the time for self-care. I had reached a point of burnout that I had never felt before and now my mind and body were saying enough.
As I have begun to turn my gaze towards myself I have had to take time to rest and process. To figure things out. One thing I realized was that self-care could not be done if I did not value myself. Keeping busy all of the time and constantly distracted was a way of living that detached me from myself. This detachment often led to the neglect of the one person who played the most vital role in my day to day happenings; me.
One of the best ways to get through our busy seasons with grace and dignity while avoiding burnout is to be able to take care of ourselves. We have to actively make ourselves a priority by taking time for us. Remember, you are worth taking time for you. It is your right. It is your choice.
Below are a few tips on how you can take time for yourself during your busy seasons.
Making and/or taking time for ourselves out of our busy schedule is very important, but, unless we purposefully take time for ourselves it will never happen. As a college student and former event coordinator I completely understand the feeling of having absolutely no time to spare. However, managing stress is crucial for staying at the top of our game, and self-care is a great way to help with stress. So, take the time to take care of you.
You do not have to spend an hour at the gym, or even thirty minutes doing something for yourself. Although you are definitely worth taking any amount of time necessary for you, realistically sometimes all the time that can be spared is a brief ten or fifteen minutes…so take it. Whether it is finding a quiet place at work to sit in silence, reading an article before you start your day, or listening to a good podcast during your morning commute, take whatever time you can whenever you can to center yourself and feed your soul.
The time of day you take for “me time” does not matter as long as it is something realistically achievable for you. If you are a morning person then wake up a few minutes earlier than normal and go for a morning walk before starting your day. If you are a night owl take a few minutes after work or before bed to do some stretching. Whatever works best and whenever you are able will be the perfect time for you.
Taking a quick trip out of town can be very beneficial for reducing stress. The change of scenery and routine can help clear your mind of the previous week’s work and recharge your mental and emotional batteries.
If there is one thing true of most human beings, it is that we will not do what we do not want to. Self-care looks different for everyone. It is personal because it is all about understanding who you are, your emotional pulls, and living your life in a way that compliments you. If you do not like yoga before bed, watch a good show on Netflix, if a morning walk is not your thing, read a book while drinking tea. Whatever you choose to do, be flexible and honest about what it is that truly relaxes you, and do that.
Stressing out about finding time for yourself is counterproductive to its intended purpose, so start simple. Taking time for yourself when you are busy can be as simple as devoting one night a week to doing something for you. As you continue practicing self-care as a lifestyle it will be easy to want to take more time for yourself eventually.
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