This is the second in a series about how to find the balance between work, family and your own health and fitness goals. Click here to read the first blog entry in this series. I work a lot from home, so with two little ones around, finding time throughout the day to get my job done can be a challenge. These days, packing up for a trip to the store, doing the shopping and coming home to unpack the groceries can be a half-day affair. With so many day-to-day tasks to complete, how do I find time to take care of myself? Time is something most of us wish we had more of. I often find myself thinking "If I just had 20 minutes to myself, I'd squeeze in a short workout or at least use the quiet time to unwind." But in reality, when I do have a few of those minutes here and there, I use them to clean up toys, or get dinner started, or lots of other things that have nothing to do with me. I can easily find things that I think NEED to get done, when in reality they could probably wait a little longer. I know that I'd benefit from taking those few minutes for myself instead, so why do I have such a hard time doing it? Am I the only one who struggles with this? Finding time comes down to making priorities. It's easy to find time for the things that are a high priority in your life. I always shake my head at the people who say "I don't have time to exercise." Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day- it's just about how you choose to use them. Those people who have time for exercise are the ones who put it higher on their priority list. This doesn't mean that you're a failure if you can't find 60 minutes a day for physical activity. But I don't know anyone who can't find 10 minutes here and there throughout the day to get up and move. I'll admit that I haven't done a good job at putting myself high on the priority list. So maybe I need to start practicing what I preach and make time for me. One of my personal goals for this year is to spend at least 10 minutes a day (outside of exercise) doing something for myself. Have I been sticking to it? Honestly, no. I know that taking care of me means I'll do better at taking care of everyone else, but for some reason this is tough for me. Is it tough for you? What can we do to start finding the time? Let's start by looking at a typical day. Are there any tasks you could delay or delegate to someone else? Can you find small pockets of time to do a few strength training exercises, make a healthy lunch or just relax and read a chapter of your favorite book? It doesn't have to be much, but those small bits of time can make a big difference in your physical and mental health. I'm going to start by taking a look at my day, setting some priorities and making a plan for how I'm going to find the time. Are you with me?
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My pastor left me with this thought, " If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of your family, and your spouse (Brian, in my case) will give everything to his next wife." What my pastor was saying is if we don't take care of ourselves first, we are not going to be around to enjoy life later. Report
My life hs changed and I am a non stop 2 job, working student and I never have time for my books anymore... well so I thought. But you said something about squeezing in a chapter of a favorite book... DUH! If I just did my reading 1 chapter as I can get to it, I could still aqueeze in my fantasy land and still get my life necessities accomplished. I have just been depriving myself... Thanks for that! :) It never occured to me that even though it wouldn't be my 2 hour or more session that I still could have it. I guess I am an all or nothing kind of girl, But this year is about change right!
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On weekends I end up walking a lot more just because I want to get out of the house (but after my house hold chores) and it's typically heading to a mall or an outlet place. Report
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What a treat to beat the birds & sun --- and feel like I'm the only one!
I usually grab a cup of tea & get online for 10-20 mins.
- 1st I connect with God thru a Daily Devotional to focus on
- 2nd I connect with my self - thru a daily Yoga message & exercise
- 3rd I connect with SparkPeople to share the glory of the morning & learn what I missed while snoozing the night away!
If time allows (before waking Hubby at 6:30), I get sneaky again & put on my earbuds for a 10-20 min walk to witness the sunrise in person. I am SO excited that Daylight Savings Time is soon returning soon. By summer, I WILL return to swimming under the morning stars too. I found that glory last yr to be an exhilerating way to start the day.
- As an extra treat, I have recently added a morning 5K in my schedule - after getting Hubby out the door & on their way.
- My daily shopping/errands often include a quick 20 minute walk thru a favorite park or new hiker/biker trail. This can easily be done with children & they love it too!
PS: Sneaking a nap in the afternoon is pretty nice too!
I wish I would have lived this way in my younger years so my children had a good example to follow. There is definitely wisdom in the aging process!
I am grateful to SP for helping me enjoy my tender years.
You give me reason to 'rise & shine' each day!
Thank You. Report
HOWEVER, since having my gastric bypass surgery in November 2007, I have MADE SURE that I get ME time - my exercise time - every day. Three days a week, I wake up 30 minutes earlier (6 a.m.) and use the elliptical. Two nights a week, after dinner, I spend an hour at the gym to strength train with my hubby, who also had the gastric bypass (February 2008). On Tuesday nights, we go to our bariatric support group.
We are lucky in that our youngest (twins) are 12, and can stay at home with their older siblings (age 14 and 17) while we are out at the gym or support group. Also, when we take walks on Saturday or Sunday morning, we can do so without worrying whether the kids will be safe. I think it's important to adjust your schedule to fit in the exercise! I'm glad I finally did that almost 2 years ago. Report
This is how I stay sane! lol
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The second thing I did began when the price of gas started soaring. I used to get in the car and take a ride at lunch time at work. Now....I walk for the same 30 minutes.
I now can get 1 hour a day in........that doesn't interfere with my lifestlye at all......as time goes on.....you look to add even more time......using time you used to "waste" like doing the gazelle while I am watching TV........and I feel so much better. Report
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Conversely, we find reasons to not do the things we don't want to do. We tell ourselves we don't have the time, money or energy to do them.
I spent over a year being sick pretty much 24/7 about 5 years ago. Getting sick wasn't my choice but getting over it was. Back then walking around the block at a snail's pace was an exhaustive effort for me, but I did it once a day every day because I wanted to and the made the choice to and accepted the consequences that went along with that choice. I had had more than enough of the being sick rut I was in and hated that lifestyle, or more accurately, I hating losing the lifestyle I lost because of being sick.
These days I not only got that lifestyle back, it is way better than it use to be even before I got sick. That didn't happen because fate or because I got lucky. It happened because it is what I wanted and because I made choices and accepted the consequences of those choices that were needed in order to make it happen. Along the way, I have found ways to maintain those choices given fixed limitations of time, money, and energy. When I was sick I had lots of time, since I couldn't work or even take care of the house, so I used that time to study physiology and nutrition, originally strictly for my own benefit and need. Once I recovered sufficiently and had fewer physical limitations I studied to become a personal trainer, fitness instructor, and nutritional consultant.
So do I find the time to exercise? You bet! I made it my job to, both personally and professionally. I wake up every morning eager to start using my 24 hours to do exactly what I want to do. Report