How to Get Your Time Back-
for Busy Parents.
Of course you can’t physically take your time back. You landed here because you lack time to get things done, Im assuming. You spend a great deal of time procrastinating, worrying, doubting and so on… I’m assuming again. As a business owner and a mama of two, we see each other. These distractions are stealing you from your full potential. Distractions steal time. So, let’s eliminate the distractions altogether. You are sowing that seed right now. Read on for tips for Getting Your Time Back As a Busy Parent.
Schedule Tasks.
Scheduling all or important tasks can help with your productivity during the day. If schedules give you the creeps, you don’t have to be technical. Have a roundabout time important tasks happen each day like meals, naps, and free activity. I like to let my toddlers do their own thing but we stay on a schedule for the most part. Knowing when they need to take their naps, eat, and even play each day avoids so much crankiness from them which in turn makes me cranky less. You can record this schedule on paper or use apps on your devices like Trello, Notes, Reminders, etc. That way you have more time to put back into yourself. But, don’t be set on sticking to a specific schedule. Your body will tell you what you need to do and when.
SN*- Can you arrange a specific timeframe for meals? For a nap? For a specific work task? Is there a day of the week you can plan for deep cleaning? Work? Meetings/ Visits? Laundry? Activities?
Reflect.
As parents, we don’t really have a choice but to go with the flow sometimes. It’s vital to take some time and reflect on your day. You can also record how you need to perform better as a parent, in your career, and in your personal life. Where is all of your time is going? How productive or unproductive are you? You can’t create a schedule if you don’t know what you’re spending most of your time doing. When you have knowledge of your patterns, you can’t identify what is serving you and what isn’t. Break away from the tasks that aren’t serving you (like maybe scrolling social media extended hours of a day) and keep and nourish the tasks that do serve your goals (rising and resting rituals, free time, naps, etc). Take note of the patterns and use your better judgement on deciding if they belong in your schedule.
SN* Self-reflecting can be tough. It reveals moments about us that are imperfect. It gets ugly. Sometimes you may get angry, you may cry, you may run, and you may act out of character. Everyone handles it differently. At any time you get to a tough point. You want to tell yourself that you are doing your best and you’re right where you’re supposed to be. Reflect on yourself vs. focusing on things you cannot control.
Set Healthy Boundaries.
Be intentional with your time. Set healthy boundaries for you and your children. When you say yes to anything that you cannot commit to (whether it be physically or mentally) you are ultimately saying no to your own needs. How much do you bend when you should be saying no? Don’t feel obligated to do everything for everyone, all the time. No is a full sentence. You are allowed to say no, without explanation. Pour back into yourself. Do away with anything that is not aligning with your boundaries.
Rest.
Take care of you and your children first. Give yourself a break. You weren’t created to always be on GO! Are you getting adequate rest? When do you dedicate time for absolutely nothing? If you don’t take care of yourself first, you can’t take care of anyone else. While the idea of keepin’ it pushing sounds good. Burnout is typically waiting right around the corner. When your body isn’t functioning properly it can be told that through excessive fatigue and a lot of times even pain. Don’t force yourself to rest through burnout.
SN* take advantage of your downtime even if it’s just ten minutes. Take some time to just breathe and rest in the moment. (This helps me to gather the next parts of my day)
The seed has been sewn. Now, you’re retraining your mind. Turn your negative thoughts into positives. Ultimately, you know what’s best for you. You know by now that there is not a perfect solution to life and parenting. Don’t expect yourself to be perfect. Trust yourself. Take it one day at a time. Not having the time will be a thing of the past for you. By repetition, you will eventually know what works and what doesn’t work for you and your children.
If you made it this far through this read, I’m believing in you and trusting that your reflections at the end of the year will show how you grew right past this phase of your life. Peace and Blessings to you along your journey. You got this!
Everything is clear and to the point. Well written, thank you.