Most of us truly believe that there is not enough time to take time for ourselves!
We feel overwhelmed with our never ending “to do” lists, our work demands, the laundry pile that never goes away, making dinner AGAIN, chauffeuring our kids around, loading the car/unloading the car, and what about all the holiday parties on your calendar . . . looking forward to them or dreading them?
Well, I’m calling bullshit.
I am tired of hearing myself say, “There is never enough time.” And as much as I love my beautiful tribe, I’m tired of hearing all of your excuses as to why you can’t find the time to take care of you!
This epidemic needs to STOP NOW!
Yup, I’ve written about this before . . . my Bliss Element #2 – Taking Time . . . and here it is again.
So quit making excuses, read what I have to say (it’s some good shit) and then DO something about it! (End of rant, for now!)
What does Taking Time look like . . .
Take time doing more of what you love! Creating time for YOU prevents you from living life by default (constantly reacting to what’s important to everyone else rather than what is important to you). Take the time to make yourself a priority and go for that run, have lunch with your bestie or take a frickin nap!
SCHEDULE your YOU time. Put it in your calendar, write it on your to do list, post it on Facebook and ask your “friends” to keep you accountable, put a sticky note on your steering wheel, hire me as your coach! Whatever it takes to make sure you take time for yourself, to nourish YOU and kick butt as a human being.
Be ok with just taking things off your “to do” list (I know, that’s scary for me too) AND asking for help! My boys vacuum each weekend, their efforts are in the B- range, but I’ve learned to be ok with that, because it means I can do something for ME instead of vacuuming the whole damn house!
Taking Time also means . . .
Taking Time to say NO:
Remember . . . when you say “yes” to something, it means you are saying “no” to something else and if I know my tribe as well as I think I do . . . that “something else” is YOU and YOUR time.
When you say “no” to something that doesn’t give you joy or bring value to your life, you are saying YES to nourishing yourself and taking care of you! HELL YES!!!
The word “no” is such a small and simple word, yet it can be very difficult to choke out at times, and that’s ok . . . you just need to practice, so start NOW.
Taking Time to SHOW UP AND BE REAL:
Stop pretending everything is “fine.” Quit trying to look like you’ve got your shit together. We are all struggling, we are all in the middle of our messy lives doing the best that we can . . . and that’s ok!
I promise you that you will feel SO MUCH BETTER when you decide to just be real.
embrace your true self
listen to what your body is telling you
accept that life gets messy
live your core desires and values
stay in your own business
nurture honest and true relationships
“Getting real means you embrace your true self, choosing courage and connection with others over what anyone else thinks.”
– Brene Brown
Taking Time to BE GRATEFUL:
Find something to be grateful for EVERY SINGLE DAY. That’s it . . . it’s that simple.
Whisper it as you climb into bed, say it out loud while driving in your car, write it in a journal (for me, this is the most powerful), type it into your phone or put it out on social media. It doesn’t matter how you do it . . . just do it EVERY SINGLE DAY.
It doesn’t have to be creative or articulate or even that positive (I am grateful that I wasn’t irked by my husband last night). It is the act of finding something that you are grateful for that rewires your brain and encourages more gratitude and ultimately, BLISS! So give it a try . . . I did:
“I am grateful for my high waisted jeans, they suck me right in!”
“I am grateful for 7:15 am spin classes, sometimes 6 am is just too damn early!!
“I am grateful for my opinionated kids, even though they can be a pain in the ass!”
Taking Time to SLEEP WELL:
This is a “no brainer” . . . The Mayo Clinic states “Getting at least seven hours of quality rest each night is essential for optimal health. Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on your mind, body, mood and temperament. Plus, lack of sleep influences what and how much you eat. Lack of sleep also decreases your mental focus and acuity.”
So basically . . . when you don’t take time to SLEEP, your entire “being” is fucked up! (Sorry for the bluntness, but this is important)!
GET SOME SLEEP my beautiful tribe.
I’ve covered a lot in this blog . . . thanks for sticking with me. Here are your action steps:
Take Time: Schedule YOURSELF in your calendar at least two times this week.
Saying NO: Set a goal for yourself – committing to say “no” twice a day for the next week or once a day for a month, whatever feels good but slightly uncomfortable.
Show up and be real: Be brave enough to share something that isn’t “fine” about your life. Call a friend, post it on social media, be willing to show up and be vulnerable.
Be Grateful: Give gratitude a chance for the next 7 days and see what happens!
Sleep Well: Let’s be in this together and commit to 7 hours of sleep for the next 7 days, no excuses!
I am here to tell you that you DESERVE to take time for yourself! I am giving you permission to take as much time as you need to nourish your gorgeous self because this world needs as many beautiful and healthy human beings as possible . . . and you are one of them!
xo,
amy
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