We all know how important it is to make time for yourself. How are you supposed to excel at work, relationships, and commitments if you don’t take the time to prepare & meditate before and refuel & rest after?
Yesterday, I found myself at the end of the night thinking about how productive my day was, but yet how much time I had for personal care. Spending time with loved ones and keeping healthy mentally and physically are top priority for me. Otherwise, I can guarantee I’ll be pretty miserable!
1. Don’t fight it when your pet tries to wake you up.
Or just wake up 20 minutes early! I usually set my alarm at least a half hour before I actually have to get out of bed. But usually, Gus comes in stomping all over our heads before the last “duck” alarm sound goes off on my iPhone. Yesterday, both Joe and I woke up with him and enjoyed some peace in bed before starting the day. I wish every morning could start like that, but I somehow end up snoozing right until that last minute! It was nice to talk and cuddle with the boys before the start of the busy day.
2. Don’t eat on your lunch break.
Yes, that’s what I said. Get a manicure instead! I am travelling later this week for work and have a ton of stuff to get done. I opted to get a relaxing manicure on my lunch break and just ate my lunch at my desk while plowing through e-mails. Sometimes, it just works out better productivity-wise to run errands on lunch (helloooo Target that is five feet from my work) and eat at my desk after. Though, there are days that I just want to sit and relax and enjoy my food in the kitchen, so I try to vary it.
3. Wear yoga pants to work.
Yesterday, I let myself sleep in and just signed up for a yoga class after work. Since the studio is a halfway between work and home, and I usually hit a lot of traffic, I usually need to step out a few minutes early to change so I can hit the road right away. Instead, I decided to just make my yoga pants look cute with a big comfy sweater and flats. Why not!? All I had to do was throw on my Lululemon bra-in tank and go!
4. Procrastinate
Don’t want to work out in the morning? Would you rather sleep in on a few days of the week? So what! Workout after work! Notably, yoga is a great way to decompress from the day. However, I ended up making it to the studio 15 minutes early and hopped in on a yoga barefoot bootcamp class. It. was. INTENSE. I burned about 700 calories with a combination of sun salutations, high intensity cardio intervals, total body strength conditioning, and a final savasana. All in a HOT yoga room.
5. Fold laundry while watching the bachelor. Come on, it’s not like you really need to pay that much attention.
I got home at about 7:45 and hopped right in the shower so that I would be ready to sit down for the Bachelor at 8pm. I watched while folding laundry, brushing my wet hair, and running back and forth between commercials to pack up tomorrows pre-prepped lunch, empty the dishwasher, and pickup around the house. It’s pretty amazing how much you can get done in 2 hours while still realizing how many times AshLee can call Sean, “This man”.
- What are your favorite ways to make some extra time during a busy day?
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Great post! We all forget to take time for ourselves & slow-down a bit! I make a point to actually leave the office for work, luckily I live close enough by to go home & “reset” for about 45-minutes. Even just hanging out with the dog helps break up my day! And yoga pants to work, I do that even when I’m NOT going to yoga
So lucky to be close to home so you can go there on lunch. I live about 45 minutes away from my work!
Really enjoyed this post. Glad you are finding ways to make your days productive while taking care of yourself, too.
Great post, and so true! Your nails look great.
I also fold laundry while catching up on TV shows…it eases the pain of having to fold laundry, hah.
Seriously, right!? I hate it, so when I am watching TV I almost forget that I am doing a chore lol
I love these
They sound so great – especially the yoga pants at work.
Ok, Gus wakes you guys up a LOT cuter than Clarabelle wakes us up. We get howling, and a dagger (aka, kitty paw with claws) to the feet – LOL
And booo to the rose ceremony last night. Although she was a bit annoying, I didn’t want to see her leave!
Haha, I may have left out that he bites ..Joe’s face, not mine for some reason!
And I like AshLee too…but when she got those devil eyes at the end, I started to get a feeling that she’s really evil lol
i whole-heartedly agree with the lunch break point. i generally work out on my lunch break so that i don’t have to get up early and do it in the morning OR go after work
How do you manage time-wise showering and stuff when you go on lunch? Just curious! I usually don’t workout on lunch because of that!
yes! sometimes it is a tight squeeze, but what i usually do is wait until toward the end of the day (3:30 or so) which means that i’m not as concerned about how i look afterward. i rinse off in the shower at the gym, but save my real shower for when i get home from work. i might be five minutes over my lunch “hour” but i say if it’s for your health, too bad!
I am so sad that AshLee went home! But it’s so true she called him “this man” way too many times.
I’m currently at work. Wearing yoga pants. And my day is infinitely better for it.
I love these ways to make time! I am currently wearing all Lulu at work.. haha.. it’s totes work attire, didn’t you know? And I got a pedi yesterday instead of lunch. I am on it! Love you!
I would love to try a yoga bootcamp class! Sounds awesome!
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