For many women, the end of summer is a time to prepare for the impending chaos of a packed fall.  School starting, work, activities for kids, holidays, and more.

So often, we hear our patients talk about not having time for themselves in the mix with all of the hats they wear.  So this blog post is dedicated to the over-scheduled busy person who may benefit from a quick pep talk.

1. Write down ALL scheduled events and weekly obligations. Then look for the gaps that you have left to work with.

2. What do you need for yourself?  

• Time to schedule a massage?

• Exercise time?

• Date nights?

• Appointments with a healthcare provider?

• Time to prep healthy meals ahead of time?

3. Prioritize what is most important to you.

4. Fill in those self-care needs into your schedule in an IDEAL week or month.

5. Notify family members of these obligations and arrange/discuss childcare if needed.

6. Stick to this schedule. Remind yourself that YOU are just as important as the others you care for.

Now the things mentioned above DO take some planning as they likely take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour or more.  But NEVER underestimate the little things that ADD UP to make a BIG difference!  Here are some examples of things I frequently talk about and recommend to my patients…

• Take 5 slow belly breaths when you finally get into bed at night to center your body, calm your nervous system, reset your deep core muscles, and so much more.

• Take care of your neck and shoulders by using your headrest while driving in your car.  Trust me.  This one makes WAY more of an impact than you may think.

• Playing on the floor with a baby?  This is the perfect time for a plank exercise on your knees or other core exercise while next to your baby who just thinks you are playing with them!

• Take a quick moment to stretch your spine with a gentle spine twist and deep breath every hour that you are at a computer desk.

• Set reminders on your phone or sticky notes in places that you will see to do what your body needs.  Ex: place a sticky on your car dashboard to remind you to use your headrest.

Making and keeping self-care habits is ALWAYS a work in progress.  Don’t expect perfection.  Like EVER.  Instead, give yourself grace and continue to focus on the plan you have set and continue to re-evaluate how it is going and if changes need to be made.

Know that every 6 weeks is a perfect time to reassess your schedule with the plan of reworking things as needed to start anew or continue forward.

Knowing that you have hit a sweet spot, is when things feel like a HABIT!

If there is ONE thing our patients have in common, it’s that they ALL are busy people.  We are well aware that taking time to come see us is a BIG deal and we hope that we make that time as productive for them as possible in our shared goal of helping them to THRIVE.

Remember that you are ALWAYS worth it!

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