How to make time for yourself

Everyone gets it. No one gets more. No one gets less. It is one of the true constants in life. What is this thing that everyone gets? Everyone gets 24-hours in a day.

There can be so much to fit in the day, and the feeling of so little time. There is sleeping, eating, working, planning, taking care of others, errands, etc. It can feel like an endless treadmill, frantically running to fit in one more responsibility or task. Who has time for oneself or self-care? Who has time for eating or preparing a healthy meal, let alone fitting in time for movement?

Establishing "You time"

One of the things I hear the most as a dietitian is that people don't have time to care for themselves. People want to lose weight and eat better but there isn't enough time. And yet, there are others who have very busy schedule and achieve their health goals. What is different?

I believe what is different is that they begin by defining what is deeply important to them. Then keeping that visual picture in mind, believing it can be accomplished and taking action to plan allotted hours for activities of self-care. I call it "You Time."

"You Time" starts with knowing what is truly important to you. It is deciding to carve out moments for these important activities and then doing it. It may mean altering the time you wake up or go to sleep. It may mean taking a calendar and writing in dates and times so you have a schedule to buy groceries, plan and cook meals.

Prioritize your time

This may feel selfish or abandoning of other's needs. However, in the end, taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do for others. You Time demands re-prioritization and asking for assistance sometimes.

Establishing routines and sticking to them as much as possible can be helpful. Then, add persistence like a dog on a bone, relentless about what you need. When days get out of whack and your planning is disrupted, get right back to prioritizing what you intend to do.