Why You Should Take Time For Yourself

We live in a busy world that makes it easy to forget about self-care.

But that doesn’t make self-care any less important. If anything, it’s more vital than ever.

So why is it important to take time for yourself?

The answer is simple, really.

It’s imperative to take time for yourself because the more time you spend refilling your own cup, the more energy you’ll have to give to those around you.

Think of it like a race. You need the right food, sleep, and exercise to run a marathon. If you don’t get enough of any of those things, your race performance will suffer.

The same goes for how you choose to spend your time. If you don’t find ways to spend time on yourself and the things you care about, you and those around you will notice as you begin to wear out.

So not only is it important for you to learn how to take time for yourself for personal reasons, but it’s important for those around you too.

Five ways to take time for yourself

Here are some tips for finding that much-needed you-time.

1. Learn to say “No”

There are only 24 hours in a day—a third of which should be dedicated to sleeping. That leaves you with 16 hours for everything else. There are only so many minutes in the day and you need to decide how and what you’re going to spend your minutes doing.

And choosing to spend your time doing one thing means you can’t spend that time doing something else.

Saying no may be difficult for some people, but it’s the only way you’ll be able to pick and choose what you spend your limited time on. Saying no lets you be honest about what you can and can’t do in a day and allows you to take control of the time you have.

2. Develop morning and evening rituals

Many people find comfort in routines. For example, if you pick out your outfit the night before and lay it out in your room, that’s one less big decision you have to make after waking up. Similarly, meal prepping makes it easier for you to plan meals and cuts down on day-to-day food preparation.

Additionally, rituals are an easy way to take part of your day or week back and spend it on yourself.

Also, try to find ways to set future-you up for success. Planning out outfits, preparing breakfast ahead of time, and planning out your day are all examples of activities you can spend a little time on that can make things easier for yourself later on.

Whether you’re building a morning or evening routine, make sure to keep it simple. It’s hard to make a habit out of anything overly complicated.

3. Deal with reality on reality’s terms

Taking time for yourself isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.

Finding time for yourself can be really difficult, especially if you’re a parent. Schedule that time like you would a meeting with a friend or a workout. Take a 15-minute break from work to take a walk or unwind for 30 minutes at the end of the day with a book.

If you have a hard time taking time for yourself, then deal with reality on reality’s terms and make time on your calendar for it instead.

4. Find your “why”

There are a lot of people out there who work long, hard hours to provide for their families. Others have fur babies that they take care of. Some people work so they can pay off student loans, and others work to be able to live a certain kind of lifestyle. Others choose not to work so they can stay at home and take care of their kids.

You need to know your why in life so you can properly prioritize your life around it. Obviously, most people have to work, but if taking care of your family is your why, then spending unnecessary time away from them to continue doing extra projects in the office probably isn’t worth your time.

Knowing your why, in this instance, can help you prioritize how and what you spend your time on and do a better job at taking time for yourself throughout the day.

5. Learn when to fold

Sometimes, you’ll go to the gym and reach a new personal best. Other days you’ll be lucky to just make it there to walk on the treadmill. Some days you’ll go to work and get everything done perfectly. And other days you’ll leave with a longer to-do list than you started your day with. Some days you’ll make your family an incredibly healthy dinner from scratch, and other days it’ll be a cheap pizza.

You have strengths, talents, limits, and shortcomings. You’re allowed to succeed on some days and fail on other days.

Learn to accept “good enough” so you don’t spend too much time on tasks that won’t give much of a return.

Sleep helps you take care of yourself

Sleep is at the very core of taking care of yourself. And a great night’s sleep can do wonders for you mentally, physically, and emotionally. Let us help you get that great night’s sleep. Check out our selection of sleep products, all created to help you get the sleep you deserve.