How do you find time for yourself?

KO · 04-23-2010, 03:40 PM

I'm seriously having a hard time with this!
My new mantra seems to be I need a day off (surprisingly this was my Mom's Mantra while I was growing up) the stress is driving me nuts I NEED me time bad!

KellyEnix · 04-23-2010, 04:06 PM

I think sometimes when life gets crazy, you actually have to schedule time for yourself. Find an hour a day, or every other day, where you can put something aside and relax with a book, or work on a project, or whatever helps you de-stress. Good Luck! Hang in there!

CyndiM · 04-23-2010, 05:33 PM

Kelly is right - put it in the calendar as a high priority meeting because it is

Mmckellen · 04-23-2010, 07:35 PM

It's very hard, but you have to schedule it and just not feel guilty. Put a rubber band on your wrist and snap yourself if you feel guilty. Whether it's a workout at lunchtime, or a quick shopping trip after work, you must do it.

Lexxiss · 04-23-2010, 08:08 PM

My goal was to find time at home that was "mine". I used to spend the evening watching sorts of TV shows with DH-he's a geology, science, dinosaur fanatic. Going back to my office in the evening was too "anti social". Now we have dinner together, usually watch something together until 8 and then I suggest or find one of his favorites....next I mention I'm going to read in bed, fall asleep early then get up before the crack of dawn for "me" time. I work from home and without distractions I get my work done, focus on my own health, talk with everyone here and get my house chores done...get all caffeinated and at 6 bring hot coffee in, wake up DH, crawl back in bed for a few minutes and everyone is happy.

Seriously, I'm a caretaker for my Mom and DH's medical issues, and one of my big problems in not being able to stick with my own food plan was that I always took care of everyone else first. Now I do alot of cooking in the morning, especially my soups, and it's the time I have to do my daily Beck reading. It is my favorite time of day and I always feel quite energized.

astrophe · 04-23-2010, 10:14 PM

How do you find time for yourself?

I'm never going to just "find" it.

So I just book it. DH and I trade off evening kiddie detail twice a week so we each get that time off to ourselves.

A.

kaplods · 04-23-2010, 10:27 PM

I just read a great article about this in a magazine (Prevention or Reader's Digest I think). The author's point was that no matter what we're trying to "find" time for, it almost never happens. We don't find time, we make time. If we don't schedule time for it, it usually doesn't get done - whether the it is housecleaning, writing a novel, learning a language or leisure activities.

That's helped me a lot. Even with a lot of time on my hands (being disabled), I don't exercise if I don't plan for it. It feels like "gee, where did the time go?" but the time didn't "go" anywhere. I just used my time for things that weren't really a priority (in hindsight).

KO · 04-23-2010, 10:39 PM

Thanks Ladies!
You know it's funny for a large % of my young adult life I took care of my gramma and was "the chief cook and bottle washer) at my house when gram didn't want to cook any more
Me time isn't really something I had
Tomorrow I'm going to go to the library and do some work but I'm also going to schedule someo down time!!
I might start doig what you do deb and grab the morning b4 work
Thanks again!
Kierie