Where Does All of The Time Go?
By Donna Kostiew
Do you feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish what needs to be done with balancing work and family? Are you constantly on the go, running your children to and from school, sports, and doctor visits? Do your meals consist of whatever is offered at the local coffee shop drive-thru?
How’s your stress limit? Are you being pulled into too many directions?
Life is busy, it’s unpredictable. As you go to bed at night, you may find yourself wondering whether or not you checked off everything on your to-do list for that day. If you didn’t, you may end up feeling stressed, disappointed, and anxious. You may also feel pressured to ignore your own well-being for the sake of others.
Something has to give, but don’t let it be your health.
Simple Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself
- Treat yourself as a priority - Make a personal promise, and ask a friend/family member to hold you accountable if need be, to incorporate a healthy diet and exercise into your days. You can easily start on a simple plan if this is new to you. Add some more fruits, vegetables, and water to your daily intake, and if you can’t afford a huge chunk of time at a gym, start off with 15-minute walks and build from there. You will be amazed with what small changes over time can accomplish.
- Manage your time - The demands you face every day are wearing you thin and causing extra stress in your life. Be intentional with the time and energy that you spend on each of your activities. Take an extra few minutes each week to map out exactly where you need to be and what you need to accomplish. If you can’t do this on a weekly basis, do it daily, but just do it. Be specific and very clear with others that your time is important. You may be surprised with all the extra time you can find just by following through on this.
- Taking care of your health - Being intentional with taking better care of yourself can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially since you are taking care of so many others. There is no disputing though, that in order to be there for others, you need to care for yourself as well. You have permission to put yourself first in this instance! Devote some time to getting in for those yearly checkups. Devote some time to seeing a professional about those nagging pains, or aching back. While some of these appointments do take longer than usual, some other ones only take a few minutes. Regardless of the time commitment, all of them are worth it.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic, in Renton, Wash.