As a therapist, it pretty much goes without saying that I’m a massive advocate for prioritizing mental health. One of the issues my clients come to me with is their struggle to find time for nurturing their mental health, especially with all the other urgent tasks and to-do’s piled up. It feels virtually impossible to find time to squeeze in a workout or meditation break when it seems like every hour is packed with work, chores, and caring for the kids. 

When your schedule gets packed, it’s tempting to skip your daily 10-minute journaling practice or a brisk walk outside, in an effort to give yourself more time to work on that big project that’s due by the end of the week.  

The great paradox is that when we are very busy, it’s easy to put self-care and mental health on the back burner – when, in reality, we need these practices the most when we are super busy. 

If you’re quick to swap self-care for getting things done, you’re far from alone. The good news is that there are ways to work around this. Today, I’ll be sharing the top tips I offer to my clients when they express this type of concern.

Schedule self-care at the same time every day

Instead of leaving it up to your calendar to tell you when you’re free – be proactive about it. Consider scheduling self-care appointments at the same time every day, and having it become a non-negotiable part of your mental health routine. Having a consistent practice – whether it’s a quick mindfulness practice, gratitude journaling, conscious breathing, etc. – can take a short amount of time, while offering immense results. 

***Takeaway: Schedule an automatic recurring 10-15 minute appointment in your calendar at the same every day. If you use Google Calendar, here are some instructions for how to do so. 

Set up a morning routine that works for you

Piggybacking off of the last tip, I can’t overemphasize enough the power of a solid morning routine. I know we talk about this time and time again (check out last week’s blog on how to create a powerful morning routine), but there’s a reason why so many successful people swear by it. 

Having a morning routine puts YOU in charge of your day. It’s a way to take back your power and own the outcome of your day. It sets you up for feeling good so that when the inevitable stressors of life pop in, you’ll be more equipped to handle them with patience and self-awareness. 

Start and finish complex tasks in the first part of the day

“I’ll do that later.” “It’s just 10 minutes on Facebook.” “I’ll get back to work after I respond to all these texts.” Then, before you know it, the day is halfway over and nothing’s been accomplished. Stress fills your nervous system at the thought of how you’re going to get this all done. Does this sound familiar? 

I highly recommend to my clients – especially those who are more prone to ADD and ADHD – to start (and ideally complete) the most important and complex tasks in the first part of the day. Our brains are usually at their peak power earlier on, and we’re able to focus at a much higher capacity. 

I strongly encourage you to get in the habit of taking care of the most important tasks at the beginning of the day. You’ll see how good it feels and the practice will eventually become more and more natural.

Identify the 3 most important things for you to do before the next day

At the end of the day, look at your calendar for tomorrow. Then, identify the three most important things for you to get done. Then, set realistic time blocks for you actually to complete those tasks. 

Instead of having a seemingly never-ending to-do list that you don’t actually take seriously (it’s so overwhelming that it just becomes a stressor to even think about), skim it down. 

Food shop, meal plan, and prep early in the week or over the weekend

At this point in the blog post, I probably sound like a broken record – but, for real: BE PROACTIVE, friends. Finding time to food shop and meal prep at the beginning of the week gives you an advantage for the entire week ahead. Simple things can make a big difference. 

If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this article – it’s to set yourself up for success. Recognize that you have power over your life, and developing strong time management practices can hugely positively affect your mental health. Give these a chance and let me know how it goes! Can’t wait to hear.