“Let me get through this week first.”
It’s an understandable response when your calendar is crowded. But if another busy week keeps taking its place, your own care can remain something you intend to get to.
Before adding a new wellness routine, look at the day you actually have.
Find the point where the day becomes difficult
Choose an ordinary weekday and walk through it.
When do you begin feeling depleted? What happens around that time?
You might spend hours sitting without a break. You might arrive home exhausted and immediately begin taking care of everyone else. Your workday may continue well into the evening through messages and unfinished tasks.
The helpful adjustment depends on what is happening.
Give one practice a specific place
Choose something that addresses the difficulty you’ve noticed.
For example:
- After lunch, take a short walk.
- When you arrive home, take a few quiet minutes before beginning the evening.
- At an appropriate stopping time, put work away and start winding down.
A specific place in the day gives you something to arrange around. “Sometime today” is easier to keep postponing.
Decide what needs to change
If your day is full, adding something requires a decision.
Do you need to end a task earlier? Ask someone to take a responsibility? Reconsider a commitment? Tell your household when you need a few uninterrupted minutes?
Include that adjustment in the plan. Otherwise, the new practice is competing for time that has already been assigned elsewhere.
Account for demanding days
Decide what is workable when the longer version won’t fit.
You may take a shorter walk or use an indoor option when daylight or weather changes. You may simplify your evening routine while still giving yourself a clear stopping point.
A shorter practice won’t provide everything a fuller routine offers. It can still give you something useful to do on a demanding day.
Check that the routine fits your life now
Your responsibilities, health, and preferences may have changed.
You don’t have to recreate a routine from twenty years ago or borrow one from someone whose schedule looks nothing like yours.
Notice whether your plan is manageable and helpful. If it repeatedly doesn’t happen, examine the timing, preparation, and activity itself.
Try it this week
Choose one difficult point in your day.
Decide what would help, where you’ll place it, and what needs to change to make it possible. Try it over the next few days and adjust using what you notice.
For more examples, listen to the Limitless Living Podcast episode, “Your Schedule Is Full. Where Does Taking Care of Yourself Fit?”
If you’re near Lansdale, join Fredricka Davis for the Midlife Reset Experience on October 17. Explore what you need and create a practical thirty-day plan with guided support.
Visit FredrickaDavis.com and choose Experiences for details.
Want to schedule an appointment fro some onsite self-care? Call 215-292-1144 or CLICK HERE