Time management has never been more important than right now when many people are struggling with burnout. The first part of our series on self-care focused on drawing clear workplace boundaries that help people prioritize their own needs. Once you’ve changed that mindset in the workplace, it’s time to take this transformation into your personal life as well. Self-care should be a vital part of everyone’s daily routine. Explore a few self-care strategies to help you think like a productivity expert and start putting your own needs first.
Open Up A Dialogue
Self-care shouldn’t be a secret. Your habits might be personal, but the basic fact of having a self-care routine doesn’t need to be private. Spreading mental health awareness helps the people in your life feel empowered to make their own necessary changes. You can advocate for yourself and others by speaking up about your needs.
Many people are having a hard time drawing work-life distinctions these days. Remote work has made it easy for boundaries to crumble. If you’re reading this self-care series, you should already know you need to make time to rest, recuperate, and recharge. However, take a look at the people around you. Do your friends, family members, and colleagues seem to value self-care?
Help the people around you by starting a self-care dialogue. Be open about working on your mental and physical health. These conversations encourage and empower the people around you to begin a similar self-care practice of their own.
Rebuild Your Positive Habits
Just deciding to start a self-care routine isn’t always enough. Have you ever set aside time for yourself, then realized that you spent your precious self-care block scrolling on your phone? If this sounds familiar, you might need to rebuild some of your habits.
People who don’t make time for themselves often wind up stealing time instead. The most convenient way for most people to grab a few moments of entertainment is by turning to their phones. If you’ve ever stayed up too late on social media or secretly played games during a conference call, you’re not alone. As a productivity expert, I’ve seen that most of us rely on our devices as a mindless habit for distraction, positive feedback, and entertainment. Changing this habit is a great way to focus on self-care again.
Find 20-Minute Anchors
Ask any time management expert about breaking habits. They’ll tell you that it’s easier and healthier to replace a habit than to try to break it cold turkey. Don’t beat yourself up with harsh self-talk the next time you use your phone when you’re stressed out. Instead, find positive habits to try instead.
I recommend bookending your day with two 20-minute self-care blocks. Spend 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon or evening focusing on self-care. Sleep doesn’t count, since we want to build new habits. Just choose screen-free activities you’ll look forward to. For example, you could take a short morning walk, journal, read a paper book, draw, listen to music, have a voice call with a loved one, or any other short activity.
It’s easy to carve 40 minutes total out of your day. You’ve probably spent 40 minutes watching one more episode, hitting the snooze button, online shopping, or many other activities before now. Prioritize using this time for self-care and watch your overall satisfaction improve.
Make The Most Of Your Time With Self-Care Strategies
Self-care is a valuable tool for replenishing your energy, attention, and productivity. Become your own productivity expert by making time for self-care. Start dialogues with the people in your life, reframe your habits, and find short blocks of time for yourself. These simple changes will transform your work and personal life before you know it.