…I don’t have time…

…I don’t have time to eat right—to fix the right kind of food…

…I don’t have time to go to the gym, or exercise at all for that matter, or even take a walk…

…I don’t have time to do fun things, much less spend time just “relaxing”…

…I don’t have everything done in the evenings in time to get to bed early—and even if I do get to bed earlier, I wake up a lot…

…And…

…I don’t have the energy to do all that anyway!

Does this Sound Like Your Life??

Well, it’s challenging, for sure in your busy, busy and over busy life—trying to get everything done.

So, is there even an answer? Is there any Hope, at all?

Well, Yes.  There is hope.  There are Answers.

Let’s look at some possibilities.  Everyone’s different, so there will be different solutions for different people, but let’s see what we can uncover for you.

#1.  Time

You’re a very busy person, so you probably schedule your time.  You hopefully use a calendar on your phone with automatic notifications, or appointment/planner calendar.  Or both.  Or you may have your own system that works really good for you.

If you don’t have some sort of planner or calendar that you use to help yourself be more organized, this may be the time to start—it can be a great help to your life overall.

The basic use of your planning calendar would be scheduling appointments or events coming up.  I like the phone calendar for reminders.  If it’s going to be recurring, the phone is good to automatically remind you each time automatically without entering it again.  If it’s something a few weeks out, I like to set a reminder about a week ahead, then maybe a day or two ahead.

There are so many designs and types of planners, and you just about have to try one in order to see how it works for your life.  I like to write in events and appointments, or anything else going on, on a paper planner in addition to my phone, so I can easily see exactly what’s coming up a week at a time.  On this calendar I like to write 4 main goals for each week—things I absolutely want to get done that week.  I also keep a list on the week, showing tasks I want to prioritize and accomplish.

I have used Zig Ziglar’s Performance Planner for several years, and it works good for me—it helps a lot with goals, and breaking them down into daily and weekly activities to reach your goals.  But anything that works for you is the best one for you to use.  It old be as simple as a lined tablet with tasks and reminders for you to look at each day.  Anything will work if. You use it, so choose something you think you will actually use.

Note: if you only use your paper calendar part of the time…you’re still ahead of the game fro where you would be if you used nothing at all.

This Calendar Project does not immediately give you the time you want and need on its own… but it sets you up to succeed with the rest of your life without getting bogged down with missing events or appointments, or other things you need to do.  And You will be more intentional with your remaining time.

So.  Can a Calendar help Save Your Life?  It Surely Can Help!

#2. Food

Uh oh… Woke up late…No time to cook; I’ll get something later…

Oh, no…Working late again…what will I do for dinner…

This can be a challenge if you don’t take time to plan.

What if you sacrificed some time to plan for the food you’d like to eat this week…or even for the next 2-3 days…or one day…

1.      Think of what foods you like… A protein, a vegetable, and a healthy fat, for example. Either for the next 3 days or even one day.

2.     Get out any recipes you might need, and check them for ingredients you may not have.

3.     Make a grocery list.  I love grocery pickup, and have almost never been disappointed with it. It is a great time-saver. If I don’t have need for enough for the minimum order, I add an extra paper towel roll or extra butter, etc—something you know you’ll use up at some point.

4.     Think of anything you can prep ahead of time, and plan time that morning or the weekend ahead, to do that.  You might consider writing that on your calendar if you’re planning for the full week, to see what days you’ll possibly need to do some extra prep in the mornings.

5.     Tip: Double your meal so you will have leftovers (I call them pre-prepared food) you can use for another day later in the week.

These things should help you get a good dinner on the table in a short time.

It seems like when you have a plan, and you get to looking forward to that good meal being done and on the table, and on time, it just gives you more energy, helps your work to go more smoothly, and helps you enjoy it. It seems like the whole process is a lot easier.

#3 Moving Your Body.

Who likes to take the time to go to the gym.  Some people do.  And going to the gym can give you better insight into a plan to get your body in shape.  It’s an option that possibly can be worked into your schedule between work and home.  You could possibly attach it to your noon break.  Or you could make a separate time as it could fit into your day.  You would likely be more successful in keeping it up if you attach it to something else you do.  But if the gym is not what you would want to do, there are other good options.

If you have a handy place to walk outside, I think that’s the best place so walk.  If you can squeeze it into your morning, that’s possibly the best time, as the morning sun helps set your circadian rhythm to help you have better sleep at night.  But whenever you can do it is YOUR best time.  Maybe walking during half of your noon break is an option.  Maybe after you get home in the evenings.  Again, if you an attach the timing of it to just before, or just after, something else you do, it will be a help to your brain in seeing it through day-to-day.

Our bodies were made to move.  They weren’t meant to be dormant.  Everything about our body works better when we have movement every day.  It strengthens your heart, your muscles, your lungs; it sluffs off old cells in our skin so it can make new skin, it lubricates our joints; it works better than pills for depression; it helps you sleep better at night. It’s truly good for us! 10,000 steps is a good goal.  But if you don’t do that may, add some stretches, and other exercise that you could do at your desk, etc.  This winter I’ve been walking along with videos on YouTube.  I’ve enjoyed it, and it’s been a full-body workout.

4.  Relaxing.

Who has time?!  Well, we all need to make time for it.  And what’s relaxing to me may not be relaxing to you.  But the main thing is to, at some point, every day if possible, Be Still.

Can’t be still? I totally get that.  But the alternative is stress buildup which you may not feel, but which is causing havoc inside your body.  Some of us condition ourselves over time to “push through” and “get by” without down time.  We learn to continue to function at a high level without proper rest.  But all this time, our bodies are keeping track.  Our bodies know the truth.

Our bodies were wonderfully and awesomely made.  Our bodies have the power to heal themselves—if we let them.  But most of us spend our time working against our own wellness, and doing without regular rest is one of the ways we do that.  We’re all guilty at times.  We want to get so much done!  But the honest truth is, we can get our work done EASIER if we give ourselves regular rest.

Things that may help:

1.      Sitting outside, listening to the sounds of nature.  Try 5 minutes. Or take a leisurely walk for a few minutes (but not while listening to a podcast, etc…let that brain REST!)

2.      If you only sit for a few minutes and pay attention to just your breathing, that is also very good—no help needed; no special way to sit; nothing extra—just breathing.

3.     If you haven’t tried meditation, it’s worth looking into.  If you do want to consider meditating, which I do recommend, just start small; just a few minutes; try to keep your mind focused on one thing—or one place, etc, or one word.  There are lots of different ways to meditate.  I read the book, Stress Less, Accomplish More by Emily Fletcher, then watched her online class, at ZivaMeditation.com, but you don’t need to do all that.

The effects of regular meditation (Emily Fletcher recommends 15 minutes, twice a day) has been shown to increase your work production, your sharpness of thinking, reduce your stress level, help overcome anxiety, and improve your sleep.

But actually, any kind of REAL REST is good.  You will know what makes you feel really rested.

#5 Morning/Evening Routines.

We all have our regular routines, getting ready for the day, and getting ready for sleep at night.

This may be the time to re-evaluate your routines to see if some changes could help ease your life and give you more time.

Yes…you might have to add some things to your regular routine—but oh, the changes it can make in your life!

I suggest getting comfortable and writing down what your routines are right now, along with how long each task typically takes you, morning and evening—both are equally important.

Of the previous things I’ve mentioned here, think if you want to put any of these into your daily morning or evening routines. 

Consider if you want to add any stretching, or exercise, or add a few minutes of food prep, meditation, taking supplements, or breathing exercises, etc.  If you want to add any of these things, put down what you want to add, and write how long each of these things would take. 

It will add some time to the time your routine takes, and I suggest adding a few minutes cushion in between each thing on your list.  This will keep you from feeling like you’re being governed by the clock.  You’ll feel like you have some freedom to adjust, or squeeze something else in at the last minute if you want to, without throwing your whole day off.  Truly, this could be the key that helps keep your “new” routine going until it forms a habit.

Now.  With the cushions added in, see how you can fit your list into your time that you have.  Chances are good that the morning list would require you to get up earlier, or leave for work later (or remove something else from your list).  This is when you must make the decision: how valuable is it to me to have a more peaceful and healthy life.  HOW can I do this.

If you add to your evening routine, chances are good your list might require you to start your routine earlier in the evening.  Again, there is the decision.  These changes will be totally life-transforming.  So it’s making the decision of how much do I want my life and my health to be better.

If this looks overwhelming, or like something you might not follow through with, I would suggest deciding to make one change to your routine…to think of the most important thing for your health and your life, and squeeze it in.  But not without your buffer zones.  This will improve your life.  As you put this one thing into your every-day routine, it will be second-nature before long.  Just one thing will start you on the path to a different life.  And when you do it this way, you won’t have to listen to yourself say, “Well, I didn’t get to that today…” .  It will be done!

#6  Sleep.

Oh, I know.  There are things you can do to improve your sleep, though.  Simple things.  Well, and some not so simple.

1.     Get some early morning sun to get your circadian rhythm started for your sleep at night.

2.     Blue lights off at least an hour before bed; two hours is better.

3.     Use blue light blocking glasses with your screens, especially in the evening.

4.     Get some exercise during the day (but preferably not within an hour or two before bedtime)

5.     Make evening meals your lightest of the day if possible, and eat as early in the evening as you can.  Late, heavy meals make your body work on digesting your food in the night instead of resting and repairing your organs and muscles.  Your heart doesn’t get a chance to rest—and it needs the night to rest.

6.     Evening stresses can keep you from sleeping sound, so put things in your evenings that give you peace.

7.     Dim all your lights as you begin your evening routine.

8.     Follow your evening routine, about the same time each evening so it will signal your body and mind that it’s nearing time to rest.

9.     Electronics out of the bedroom at night.

10. Have your room dark and cool.

Here is a link to my article about sleep that gives a few more details, including the many benefits of a good night’s sleep.

#7  Finally… Be with people who are good for your soul.

All these things together may sound like too much change at once; if that’s the case, this is what I suggest:

Choose ONE area of the above listed, then choose one change from that area… and DECIDE to make that change.

That will be GREAT PROGRESS, and that one change can not only actually change your frame of mind, it can be the beginning, the first steps, to change your whole life.

You Can Do It…

Let’s Do It!

Thank you for reading, Friend.

Sharon

I hope you will make the changes you want in your life, allowing more time by helping your life to run more smoothly and easily.  If I can help you further, feel free to reach out, either by phone or email, or private message.