There are two elements of modern life that we all know about and get reminded of on a constant basis. First, that life has never been busier, and there is more going on for most women than ever before. Second, that making time for yourself is essential if you are going to cope with all the stresses of life. The problem is that when you are trying to juggle family, home, and work, let alone hobbies or community activities; it can be hard to squeeze in anytime to just sit back and relax.
Multi-tasking
The concept of being able to do more than one thing at once used to be seen as a blueprint for fitting everything into your life. On some occasions, it can work quite well, for example, you could listen to your child read while you do the ironing, or call a friend on the phone while you are preparing the dinner. These forms of multi-tasking work because one of the activities you are doing doesn’t require much conscious input. However, recent studies have shown that trying to do two things at the same time when they both require concentration is not only difficult to achieve but may be counter-productive. Your brain can only focus on one thing at a time, and rather than performing two tasks simultaneously; if you are multi-tasking, your brain is switching from one task to the other and back again. Therefore, placing all your focus on each task in turn rather than trying to do several at once can be less stressful and achieve better results.
Organization
It’s not easy to find the time to get yourself more organized, but if you can get everything up to date and put some time-saving strategies in place, it can make a big difference to your day. Say for example you find yourself running back into the house every morning because your son has forgotten to put his drinks bottle in his school bag, or your daughter remembers she’s left her homework upstairs. You could make a list of everything that needs to be sorted ready for the morning, and check it with the children before you leave so that nothing gets forgotten. That would save time, avoid stress and ensure you don’t turn up late for school. The savings in time and avoidance of stress make these interventions very effective, keeping everything calm and orderly.
Taking Five (or Ten)
When you’ve identified ways to make your life run more smoothly, you need to preserve the ten-minute windows you’ve created to give yourself a break from your exertions and stresses. You probably won’t find you suddenly have free afternoons to spend at the spa, but you can make a mug of cocoa to drink while you relax on the couch and look at funny pictures on lol hit, or sit in the sun with a cool glass of lemonade while you do a crossword puzzle.
You might wonder whether such short breaks will make any difference, and the answer is yes, they will. Allowing yourself to switch off a few times during the day helps keep your stress levels down and stops you becoming too fatigued, so don’t think of it as an indulgence, make it part of your routine and embrace the benefits of making time for yourself.
