A lot of people struggle to find some time for themselves. Their day-to-day life boils down to going to and from work or spending all the time taking care of their house and family. In the long run, this routine can cause several health problems: fatigue, physical and mental exhaustion, stress, headaches, and even high blood pressure.
Are you making time for the things you really like? It doesn’t even have to be a huge project or complex hobby: a simple walk outside or a couple of hours off watching TV can help take more serious worries off your mind. Work and family are important. But having a space for yourself that you can dedicate to enjoying your ions and interests is key to staying focused and healthy.
Here are four steps that can help you find some free time for the things you enjoy.
Identify the Things You Enjoy
First of all, take the time to identify what you enjoy doing – and we’re talking about you, forget the interests of your co-workers or family right now.
Some people have bigger goals, like writing a book or painting a watercolor. Others are satisfied with less ambitious pleasures: being outdoors, reading, going to the movies, cooking, taking epic photos and putting them in their photo albums etc. There are plenty of activities that can help you relax, clear your mind, and even keep your body healthy for everything that interests you. For example:
If You Like Being Outdoors
Go for walks, short runs, ride a bike, or exercise in the garden or park. Always carry your prescription sports sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun or debris thrown by the wind.
If You Enjoy Group Activities
Gather your family and friends for a night of board games, movies, or karaoke.
If You Like To Cook
Take the opportunity to try new recipes taken from books or cooking channels on the Internet.
If You Love Music
Take a few hours listening to your favorite records and dancing and singing in your living room. Alternatively, you can learn to play an instrument or record a podcast.
No matter the intensity or duration of the activity: a good walk can last 15 minutes or over an hour. What matters is that you will be taking some time for yourself and you will feel less pressured and more refreshed, instead of thinking about everything you have to do at home or work.
Plan Ahead
To have some time to do the things you enjoy, you need to plan your day or week wisely.
Procrastinating at work or around the house to find some time for yourself will not help at all, as you will have to compensate later.
When you plan your days, you don’t waste any time thinking about what you’re going to do later. When you wake up in the morning, think about setting aside a few hours for your hobbies or activities at the end of the day.
If by the end of the day you find yourself running out of time, here are some tips for adapting your schedule to your personal life:
- Cut out excessive meetings or extracurricular activities.
- Reduce the time you spend checking your social media or waiting for an email or message to be answered.
- Bring a grocery list to avoid wasting time wandering between shelves.
- Delegate activities to colleagues at work or family at home to avoid embracing everything alone.
- Never take work home, even if it seems urgent.
Take Breaks
Part of the stress of our daily lives is caused by working without taking breaks. It’s not necessary to stop for two hours to get your thoughts in order. You can do mini-breaks while working and use this time to do something you enjoy and relax.
At work, a well-organized daily schedule will help you find plenty of free time to take short breaks without compromising your activities. If you can’t find time to read a book, for example, leave your car at home and start commuting by bus or subway, so you’ll have some free time to read during the trip.
You have to take mini-breaks at home, so you don’t feel like everything revolves around work. Clean the kitchen one day and take the family to eat out the next day, so you can have 24 hours of rest (and with a clean kitchen). Enjoy your cleaning, dancing, and singing to your favorite music.
Learn To Say “No”
One of the best ways to find time for things you enjoy is not to accept too much work and responsibilities and stress yourself with it.
If you take on more tasks than you should to impress the boss and are forced to take work home, you’ll never have time for yourself. The same if you only spend the day thinking about satisfying your family’s interests.
Learn to say “no” and stop doing things you don’t like. For example, if you hate that show the rest of the family is watching, use this time to dedicate yourself to something you enjoy. Spend fewer hours on social media arguing with friends and enemies and devote that time to hobbies or practical activities.
The golden rule is: if the things you do in your spare time aren’t making you happy or relaxed, and if you’re not getting anything out of it, don’t do it.
Time is Your Most Valuable Asset
You’ve probably heard and read that time is valuable and shouldn’t be wasted, right? So why do you continue to spend so much precious time on activities that don’t bring you any satisfaction instead of dedicating more hours to your interests?
Coming home from a busy day and continuing to think about work or the things you have to do the next day can lead to stress or burnout syndrome.
Spending the day dedicated solely to household and family activities, without doing something that interests you directly, does not help you relax and be happier either.
So give it a go and start taking breaks for yourself. The way you invest your free time can greatly impact the human being and the professional you are.