Do you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day? Here are 5 ways to find time for yourself when you are doing all the things!

Do you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day? That you can barely get through a cup of coffee without someone needing you for something? that you wish you had a few moments to just—well—breathe?! You’re not the only one. It seems like we are too busy—too busy with work, with the kids, with stuff. Stuff and things. Busy, busy, busy.  Well, I’m here to tell you that it is possible to find time for yourself. Look, I get it. I’m a caregiver to a disabled parent, a parent to two kids (and one is on the spectrum), and I own my own business. I know what busy is. I know what busy is—we all do. But I also practice self-care on a daily basis, because I was able to find the time. And you can too! So, let’s talk about 5 ways to find time for yourself.

1. Make Yourself a Priority

Look, it’s time to be honest with yourself. If you are not ready to make yourself a priority, stop reading. Because you won’t make time for yourself if you aren’t ready to make yourself a priority. Women are especially terrible at this. Even though prioritizing yourself sounds selfish—it’s not, because once you put yourself first, everything else will fall into place.

Not convinced? I’ll put it another way. Whether we are moms, or caregivers, or running a household with a spouse or partner — any situation where somebody is counting on us—we are all working in a large capacity as first responders.

So, if you had a medical emergency right now, would you want an EMT or ER doctor working on you to be well-rested and on top of their game? Of course, you would! Well, the same goes for the people counting on you to fulfill their needs.

The bottom line, take care of yourself first. Prioritize you.

2. Delegate Your Tasks

This one seems pretty straight forward. Do you have too much on your plate? Then assign some tasks to someone else. Easy-peasy, right?

Not so much.

It can be extremely difficult to let go and accept help from others. People tend to want to control things—especially if they have been in control for a long time. Losing control can cause a great deal of anxiety in a lot of people—myself included. So, look inward and be honest with yourself as to why it’s so difficult to let go. A lot of times, it’s because we need to adjust expectations. For example, when we do something ourselves, it’s done a certain way, which is the ‘correct’ way. But, if someone else does the task, it won’t be done the same way, and so we think it will be inferior—because we are not letting go of the expectation of perfection.

Once you have established the issue, you need to learn how to allow others to help you. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. You may be a superhero, but you are not superhuman. Everyone needs help.

3. Schedule Your ‘Me Time’

This may sound silly, but if you are having trouble finding time for yourself, then put it in the calendar! Once it’s written down, you’re more likely to follow through with it. Whether it’s on paper or online, make sure you label it as ‘High Priority.’ And once you start adding it to your calendar, make it into a routine. Schedule it for the same time every week. Over time, time for yourself will become a high priority habit.

4. Wake Up an Hour Earlier

You should wake up early, because science says so. Research shows that people who wake up early are more cheerful, more proactive, and less at risk for depression. I mean, it makes sense. If you wake up earlier, you have more time for yourself without being disrupted by others.

Imagine… an uninterrupted cup of coffee… sounds like bliss to me!

And if you have time to yourself first thing then you’ll have accomplished your highest priority task for the day: YOU! As a result, you’ll feel more rejuvenated and energetic during the day—which sets you up to achieve higher levels of productivity all day!

5. Learn How to Say No

Listen to me very carefully:

Sometimes, it’s OK to say no to other people.

Should I repeat myself? OK

Sometimes, it’s OK to say no to other people.

If you want to add self-care time to your routine, you will inevitably have to turn down some things.

Look, it’s hard to say no. No one likes conflict, and a lot of people—me included—don’t like disappointing others. But people who depend on you should really not have a problem with you saying no to something. Even if the response is, ‘not right now’ if it means you need to recharge.

Remember, taking time for yourself, even if it’s only a few minutes, will ultimately help you become more productive.