No Time For Self Care? Try These 3 Tips Now.
One of the most popular posts on Put The Kettle On is an overview of 9 Self Care Ideas to Look After You. I think we all know how we’d like to give ourselves care and most of us would agree that taking a long bubble bath, sleeping in or reading a good book are just a few ways to rejuvenate, but how on earth do we find the time?
Finding time for self care is just as important as the act of self care. We want to make time, but also make time on a consistent basis – to keep our bodies, minds and souls happy.
If you are anything like me – we know that we need self care, but we aren’t allowing ourselves to find the time for self care.
The problem… we are too busy worrying about everyone else around us.
Finding time for self care is just as important as the act of self care. #balance #selfcare #selflove Share on XMost of us realize that we can’t pour from an empty glass, so learning to dedicate time to you is the first step in your quest to find balance and maintain your sanity!
Now that we agree that we must dedicate time, let’s figure out how!
*Find time to practice self care every day of the week with these gorgeous printable self care worksheets (includes 75 new ideas)!
3 Tips to Create Time for Self Care:
1. Time Blocking.
I recently wrote a post on time blocking to get more done in your day. Time blocking can be used for chores or tasks, but it can also be repurposed to look after yourself too!
Here’s how:
- Get out your timer and set it for 30 minutes.
- Use this 30 minutes to do something you don’t normally allow yourself to do. Have a glass of wine in the bath, go for a walk on your own, or sit outside with a good book.
- Make a habit of this 30 minute self care act 3 times this week. In fact, block off 30 minutes in your calendar and do not cancel!
If you think you can allocate more than 30 minutes, even better. Start with 45 minutes or an hour.
Tip: Make sure you know exactly how you will spend this time and be ready with what you need before you press start on that timer. After all, you want all of the time dedicated to the enjoyable stuff, not you looking for a book or looking for the bath bombs you received for your birthday.
2. Take Non-Essentials Off Your To-Do List.
If you just read the above and thought – oh, this sounds great, but I don’t even have 30 minutes in my day. This means you need to say bu-bye to those non-essential items that creep onto your to-do list.
Ask yourself:
- Do you have items/chores you can give to someone else?
- What to-do’s have you committed to that you want to say no to?
- Are there standing events you have in your calendar that you don’t love?
The task here is to identify what you can get off your plate and to also remove things that don’t bring you joy.
Need more you time? Identify what you can get off your plate and also get rid of things that don’t bring you joy. #balance #selfcare #selflove Share on XOn a personal note, I’ve always made a point to be there to help my friends and family when they need me, but I’ve realized that being more mindful to what I commit to allows me to also be there for myself.
Again, you can only give so much, especially if you are not practising self care.
3. Create a ‘ME Day’ (or evening).
Doesn’t this sound great?! A number of hours dedicated to you doing exactly what you love and what you need.
My advice on how to make this happen… Sign up for something.
It could be a dance class, yoga, an art or calligraphy class. It doesn’t matter WHAT you sign up to, but that you sign up… and that it takes place once a week.
Let’s say you have a dance class on Thursday nights; you can then add on a coffee with a friend after class, or arrange a long walk to your class to get some good quality me time in beforehand.
When you sign up for a weekly program it allows you to commit to something you love for yourself and also be around likeminded people.
This simple practice can open the doors to explore new hobbies and get you excited about life in new ways.
If there is something you’ve been thinking about trying – just do it! I promise you won’t regret it.
Self Care: Remember This…
In our fast-paced, multi-hat wearing lives, providing self care goes to the bottom of the list for many. We know we need it, we’ll feel happier and live a more balanced life due to regular self care – yet we don’t allow ourselves to experience a consistent self care routine.
If you agree with the above, get rid of the guilt, find time on your calendar and start to look after you.
We all need to make time for self care, so... get rid of the guilt, find time on your calendar and start to look after you. #balance #selfcare #selflove Share on XNow, I’d love to know from you… Do you manage to find time for self care? If yes, how often and if no, how do you plan to make time?
Leave a note in the comments section below…
Related Self Care posts:
- Self Care 101. 9 Ways to Look After YOU
- Morning Self Care Routine. New Ideas to Start Your Day
- How Essential Oils Enhance Your daily Self Care Routine
- Time Blocking Your Way to a Balanced
- 5 Easy Ways to Find Time in Your Busy Schedule
About Yolanda
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I’m passionate about helping you live life to the fullest so you can choose to find happiness and purpose. Learn how to CREATE THE LIFE YOU LOVE with intentional living and discovery of the simple things life has to offer. Learn more!
This is so true. Since of late I’ve been more deliberate in shaving off some things from my list. Over the years I’ve been taken for granted so much because I hardly said ‘no’. Now I’m learning to say NO and mean it. I’m not fully there but I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for these tips.
Hi Pat, Thanks so much for sharing. I’m so happy that you’re starting to say NO! It truly makes a world of difference in your life. Keep at it!
So hard to make time for self-care. This is an easy way to fit it in!
This is a great lesson dedicated especially for me…I wasn’t either giving my self a me time.So I have to create a “Me Time” right now and I’m sure it will definitely work for myself.
Some unique ideas here. Looking forward to trying them out! Heaven knows I need it. LOL
I haven’t taken more than 20 minutes to myself since my daughter was born 11 months ago. This was a really nice reminder that its important to 🙂
I am the worst for taking the time for my self care. Being homebound and sometimes bedridden makes it too easy sometimes to let myself go. I needed this post today. Now…time to get that shower! LOL
Hey Jen! I’m so glad this post gave you a little boost. I can relate to finding it hard to do basic things sometimes. Take care 🙂
Love these tips thank you! I always find it a challenge to decide what are essential tasks and what are things I can take off my plate. Sometimes I just want to get everything done so I do it all myself. This leaves me with very little time for nurturing myself. Something to work on for sure.
Hey Nicole! I understand where you’re coming from. I think many of us need to get better at delegating and getting rid of certain tasks for good! It sounds like a dream almost lol but I think it’s doable 🙂
I have been making a point of practicing these habits for a few months now, but it’s great to be reminded. It’s amazing what a difference just taking even one half-hour to yourself can make to your mental health. The key is to be deliberate about it.
Thanks for sharing, i sometimes try to remember everyhthing and forget “me” and feel guilty if i put too much time on myself. This is a good reminder that iwe have to love ourselves as well 🙂
It’s so incredibly important that we make time for ourselves. Self care plays a major role in our well-being! And yet we often put our needs last on our to do list. I adore your tips. It makes it so much easier for anyone who feels like they can’t make time for themselves! They truly can, it just takes a little time blocking and intention setting, like you said. Thanks a ton for sharing your goodness <3
A big YES to self love
These ideas are so great and very practical. I love the idea of having a dedicated day or a class that I take regularly doing something I love. I can’t think of what that would be but it sounds like a great idea! Thanks!
These are great tips! I will have to try the last one making a me day. I try to make me some me time and it can get hard trying to keep that time for myself.
These are great ideas for self care. I like the 30 minute idea because it’s long enough to destress but not long enough to actually be in the way of anything life demands. I find my self care in reading blogs, as odd as that may sound.
Isn’t asking for help the hardest? I love that you included this. We really can’t do it all!
Love this. I especially love the suggestion to sign up for something. Honestly, if we are expected to do something, it’s already scheduled, we tend to do it better than if we just say we’ll go rollerskating or a trip to the library, whatever. I like the slant you put on this because it’s not what’s expected necessarily by the title. As an aside, your blog layout is cute too. <3
These 3 ways to practice self care are totally do-able. For me, I’ve found that I have to do the lat one. If I don’t get out of the house 9 times out of 10 I will get interrupted or distracted by something that ‘needs’ to happen.
There should always be time for self care. Schedule it if you have to but just make sure there is me time.
Love this! I’ve been trying to take specific evenings off for “me” time every week!
Great tips!! I really like the taking non-essential items off the to do list.
Love the timer idea!
So many times i start doing something
for myself and get distracted
to clean 🙂
YEEESSSSSS! You have to take time to take care of yourself! This is non-negotiable. Time-blocking works the best for me.
All three of these are so easy to help incorporate time for me. Thanks for this!
I enjoyed reading this! I try and give myself some “me time” in the evening and bi-weekly pedicures are a must!
Me day coming up! Taking a vacation day and the kids are going to daycare for half the day time to recharge.
Thanks for the reminder – always needed. Now – where is that timer! 🙂 ?
Since I have a two week old now self care has gone out the window. Id o try though to fit in a shower every couple of days! haha
Self care is so important for our health and mental wellbeing. I think we are all guilty of putting ourselves last. Great tips to try ! 😊
These tips are brilliant. I’m going to try time blocking, setting a time for me.
Great tips! I schedule it in to my planner. Everyone is so focused on being busy these days, it makes me sad to hear or think of a mom who doesn’t even have 30 minutes to her day to focus on herself. That sounds more like a time management issue than anything else because if you prioritize, you’ll easily find 30 minutes (or more) in a day to focus on YOU.
YES YES to all of this, I do all of these things and remind myself to follow these items!