I feel like I finally became a full fledged, life-ing adult and mom when I realized that the thing I want more than anything else on planet Earth is time. Time is, without a doubt, my ultimate luxury right now. And I for sure don’t have enough of it.
I think about all the time I had back then (in the day) when I was able to go and do or just sit and be. What a jerk I was…I was so ungrateful. I was so naive! I had no idea how precious it would become.
Sometimes the time I get is spent all alone, sometimes it’s quality over quantity with those I love, sometimes it’s snagged in bitty increments; whichever way it comes, it’s necessary and crucial in a healthy life.
So as I enter my 37th year of life and 6th year of motherhood, I have found 5 of my favorite ways to create the time I need..
Be An Early Riser (Or a Night Owl)
Having alone time is the ultimate for me. As a SAHM, time without anyone around is scarce so I grab it wherever and WHENEVER I can. Early birds take advantage of the wee hours. Night owls, hit reset the second those darlings are in bed.
Early morning is my favorite; cup of coffee, quiet house…it’s heaven. I read or write or just sit on the patio and enjoy the silence. It doesn’t last long in this house but even a simple 20 minutes makes a difference in my mood.
Take The Long Way Home
I spend lots of time in the car. It feels like an even messier house most days. So I’ve learned to make the most of it! Being in the car with my kids provides time to actually talk to them, thanks to those handy restraints. Being 6 and 3, they are usually fighting for my attention so being able to give them turns to speak, answer them and then repeat has created some of the best little kid convos ever.
If I’m alone? Oh man…
Throw on a good playlist, queue up a podcast and drrriiiivveeeeee. Again, that precious alone time is hard to come by so being in the car sans kids creates a perfect opportunity. Go the long way, take your time.
Did I leave an hour ago to grab milk from the grocery store 5 minutes away? Yes, yes it did. Now, sssshhhhhhh.
Schedule It Like an Appointment
Our lives are busy, right? We have to schedule play dates, doctors appointments, work stuff, school stuff, kid stuff, adult stuff. So much stuff.
So schedule your time too. And treat it with as much importance as you would that after school thing you might have accidentally signed up for.
Whether it’s a quality date night to remember how much you actually enjoy your partner or a lunch with a friend where you talk and listen and talk some more. Or maybe you schedule your alone time! Just do it, and stick to it. You’ll be glad you did.
Learn to say ‘No’
Ok, full disclosure, this one is still damn hard for me. Saying no it something I’m not great at but also something I’ve learned to do. For my own good.
Because we live such jammed packed lives, finding any bit of extra time for ourselves can be really, really hard. So hard that we compromise our own well-being and mental health to be everything to everyone else.
Time to say ‘no’.
Politely and without explanation, simply decline an invitation or request that leaves you without a minute to reset. Your time is precious and it doesn’t have to belong to others without your consent. Simple as that.
What are some of your best tactics for creating the time you need??