We keep hearing all about the importance of scheduling self-care, and in the meantime, time is flying!
That’s about the oldest lady thing one could say!!
The thing about time flying is that if you don’t use it wisely and capture it, it’s gone. And all of a sudden it’s been months since you’ve had coffee with that friend, and you can’t remember the last time you used that facial mask you love.
Well, here we are in the 6th month of the 21st year in the 21st century.
And how befitting that June marks the halfway point through the year, reminding us of the last “J” month and all of its resolutions.
How are they doing?
Well, this is a great time to regroup and refocus.
Scheduling Self-Care for the Busy Woman
Scheduling self-care can feel like a war, especially for Moms with young children.
Chandra Says:
My favorite weapons against time suck and forgetfulness are:
Alliteration & Scheduling
If you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen. (As told to me many times by a great friend of mine.) It has held up to be true over time!
Alliteration makes it easy to incorporate new things into your life, as proven by Taco Tuesday and Meatless Monday.
I have long used a system that has worked so well for me I want to share it with you!
Using this alliterative self-care calendar has been a great way to stay on track, (or get back on track) hey, it happens!
For me, it was easier to track the last Monday that I did something rather than a generic day/time in the past. It also became harder to procrastinate on my own self-care.
Have you seen this ad about the actual time you will spend with loved ones over your life?
PLEASE watch it until the end.
It WILL break your heart.
And it will wake you up to who you spend your time with and what you do with it. You will soon be scheduling self-care like it’s your job. Which, um…..newsflash, it is!
Scheduling Self-Care keeps me sane & organized
Scheduling Self-Care on Sunday {Spiritual | No Screen Sunday}
My favorite day of the week, Sunday is a day of rest, recharge, and spiritual connection.
And it has always been No Screen Sunday in my house. I am the most hated Mom in my town on this day, but that’s okay. For the kids, it can be the one day that I get to see them do the things they rarely do anymore thanks to screens. It is also the day deemed for a deep room cleaning. All day, I hear exclamations of “There it is!” or “I’ve been looking for that!” coming from their rooms all day.
For me, it is a blessed day of putting the phone away and focusing on Christ, my garden, and journaling. All screens are off on this day, and I soundtrack the house with easy listening.
Oh, this is also the day set aside for scheduling self-care and everything else in life! 🙂
Scheduling Self-Care on Monday {Me Day | Music Monday}
Me day was one of the first alliterative days I added to my life. Weekends with little kids are hectic. From sports to fine arts, there was always something.
(If you haven’t noticed…I don’t sit still)
Therefore, Monday mornings came with the blessed stillness of kids in school and the man at work.
So I began taking advantage of this time to focus on myself. It can be a bath, facial, nails, nap….whatever I am needing at that time in my life. l put them on the calendar each Monday. It can be the same thing each week or something different! Sometimes it has been an entire spa day! This post will guide you to the best spa experience in Orlando!
Music Monday is a recent addition. And I’ve loved it so much I JUST added Fun Friday.
This day began because I will tend to forget to listen to music! I love audiobooks, podcasts, and news. If I’m not careful, my entire day will be filled with that alone. Then I’ll hear some good music that lifts my soul and remember. So I committed to only listening to music on Mondays! Adding whatever music my heart is in the mood for in my car or in the bathroom; these few small tweaks have brought a lot to my week by starting it off this way.
Scheduling Self-Care on Tuesday {Task | No TV}
Task day is my errand day. Batching is a term I learned several years ago. It was helpful for me as a stay-at-home mom to stop wasting time and focus my outings with all the car seats and effort it takes just to buy something! I try to put all doctor’s appointments on this day, shopping trips, etc.
Sometimes task day is at home! This is the day I attack that long to-do list, organize files, closets, or drawers! These things are secreting satisfying!
No TV is on both days that start with T. This one is vital to force you to turn it off. The difference between this day and Sunday is that I can use the computer although I only use it for educational/project purposes. Though I keep this as an option, this night is usually for reading..an actual book….from the library! Gasp. Maybe one day it will be for Suduko or puzzles or knitting! It is amazing what things you can do in the few hours between dinner and bedtime if you force yourself to turn off the crutch of TV programming.
Scheduling Self-Care on Wednesday {We day}
Oh, I love this day! I am so busy and pretty introverted believe it or not! So months will go by before I’ve just called someone to chat! That includes my own Mother…so I added this day to focus on reaching out. Long-distance and right under my own roof!
The kids here have their short day from school so I usually try to sneak in a little extra connection time with each of them on this day.
Scheduling Self-Care on Thursday {Deep Thought & No TV}
Deep Thought refers to the concept of Deep Work by Cal Newton.
This is the day to devote a few uninterrupted hours to a current project that you are involved in. For me, it could be a PTA thing, photo organization, or business research. Whatever it is, you will block off time and turn off the world in order to dive into a venture uninterrupted. However much time you have, it can be used more effectively this way.
Scheduling Self-Care on Friday {Family Night}
This night is focused on the family. That will look different to everyone depending on your family makeup and the season of life you are in. Sometimes it looks like an ice cream trip, sometimes it’s a regular game night, but always it’s a moment to connect with everyone under your roof.
If it’s just you under your roof…maybe this is the night you remember to always call your mother 🙂
My Fun Friday addition is an attempt to go back to old albums. This is a listening experience I still appreciate. In this world of streaming and youtube playlists, many people are missing out on this experience. The nostalgia of listening to an album from beginning to end brings me right back to that time of my life. One of my favorite Fun Fridays recently was Jewel’s “Pieces of You”!!
Scheduling Self-Care on Saturday {Social}
Saturday is a free day of course! Social so that I remember to get out there with someone or invite them to what I am doing that weekend- that is if I’m not traveling!! Some Saturdays I will do a morning silent retreat. Something I learned from my meditation teacher.
Reviving Resolutions for the Procrastinator
Reviving resolutions is usually all about scheduling. So start with some regularity here and add a schedule for a workout, eating, or whatever your resolve was about!
If you would like a printable copy of this self-care schedule for yourself, sign up to receive notifications when I hit publish!
Put scheduling self-care into practice for a while and let me know how it goes!
Oh, and let me know….did you cry at the end of that video?!
Join the Conversation | Share | Subscribe
Chandra Says: Girl, Get Going!
