Life can often feel like a race against the clock, especially during the busy seasons when work, family, and social commitments pile up. Even in the chaos, it's essential to carve out moments for yourself to recharge, maintain your well-being, and keep growing. In this blog post, we'll explore three simple strategies to help you make time for yourself during the busiest of seasons.
How to Make Time For Yourself
Decide What Matters Most
At least once during the busy season, make time for yourself to identify what matters most to you right now. Maybe you value…
Spending quality time with family and friends
Making memories
Keeping traditions
Being productive
Achieving & setting goals
Or something else…
When life gets busy, it’s nearly impossible to do everything. Instead, identify what takes top priority and indulge in that. Don’t worry about the things you’re not doing; give your complete focus to the things that recharge you. If you let go of the things that don’t actually matter to you, you’ll free up more time for the things that mean the most to you.
This actually comes from Kendra at The Lazy Genius Collective.
For me, I find lots of joy and energy in reviewing my past goals and setting new ones. During the holidays, if there’s a goal I haven’t met, I think to myself what can I do in these last few weeks of the year to meet them (or get as close as possible)?
If you’re a goal fanatic like me, you can also break your goals into smaller, manageable tasks, and celebrate the progress you make.
And if publishing your own children’s book is one of your goals, I encourage you to browse my website some more. You can find FREE resources to guide you through outlining, editing, finding an illustrator, and more. I also offer FREE trainings for aspiring children’s authors. Find the next available training HERE.
Put Alone Time in Your Schedule
With a hectic schedule, it's easy to overlook the importance of spending time alone. However, incorporating alone time into your daily or weekly schedule can work wonders for your health and productivity. Block off specific time slots for yourself, whether it's early in the morning, later in the evening, or in the middle of the day.
During these moments, disconnect from the internet — turn off your phone, step away from the computer, and create a space that is exclusively yours. Whether you choose to meditate, write, or simply enjoy a quiet cup of tea, this intentional alone time can become a sanctuary where you can recharge and make time for yourself.
Find Joy in the Things You’re Already Doing
Every busy season, especially the holidays, have their own must-do tasks. For example, most people do the following when Christmas rolls around:
Decorate the house
Buy/cut a fresh Christmas tree
Go Christmas shopping
Host family and friends
Cook big meals
Send cards
Etc.
This year, I challenge you to see these tasks as a joy. Instead of looking through a lens of obligation and grunt work, try to find at least one thing you LOVE about each. You might even reflect and practise gratitude so deeply that you’ll end up looking forward to these busy moments.
To take this even further, you can identify which of these tasks brings you the most joy, then ensure that you carve out the time to really enjoy them.
If there are any tasks or traditions that you struggle to find joy in (and that actually just bring stress) consider cutting them out of your schedule. Of course, some stress-heavy tasks are non-negotiable and must be kept in, but it’s much easier to manage one or two of these activities than five or six.
If you make time for yourself by finding joy in every activity, you’ll have lots more energy when your schedule fills up.
FREE MIRROR EXERCISE PRINTOUT
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Making time for yourself during the busiest seasons requires intentional effort and prioritization. By deciding what matters most, scheduling alone time, and finding joy in every moment, you can experience greater resilience when the busyness feels too big to bear and maintain a sense of balance in your life. Remember, you deserve to invest in yourself and your goals.