It makes sense that the more you have to do, the more important it is to take care of yourself. In the ‘real world’ however, it seems the more we take on, the faster ‘self care’ slips down the priority scale, until it falls clean off the list.
When we’re busy with the day-to-day management of career, family and household, the idea of self improvement can feel about as achievable as finally folding all the washing piled high on the couch. We know we ought to take better care of our health. We know relationships need energy and work. We know we can have a career that we love. We know it’s possible to have our finances organised and our house decluttered and still have time for fun and recreation.
We know all of this, but we’re wondering who has time?
As mums, we easily slip into ‘survival’ mode. We sacrifice our own needs daily, while telling ourselves it’s only for a few years, and that we’ll make progress in our own lives when things calm down a little. But there is another way. You might not have long stretches of time available to make improvements in your life, but can you find just 15 minutes each day?
If you can, here are some powerful and achievable ways to get your act together in just 15 short minutes a day.
There are endless ways we can take small steps to improve our lives. Once you move into the 15-minutes mindset, you’ll soon realise the power of the ‘nooks and crannies’ in your day.
Health and wellbeing
Fill a bucket with warm water and grab a towel.
Add some of those unopened bath salts or oils that clutter up the back of the vanity waiting for ‘one day’.
Sit down for 15 minutes with your feet swishing in the bucket of water and don’t move!
The trick with this challenge is not to wait for ideal circumstances. This is not about recreating the ambience of a five-star retreat, it’s about slowing down and taking care of yourself now – where you are, with what you have, for one 100th of your day.
Relationships
It’s a beautiful thing to feel acknowledged. Take 15 minutes to send an email, message, letter or card to someone who made a difference in your life in some way.
Don’t spend time agonising about getting the wording exactly right—it’s not about that. Just tell someone what their actions meant to you and watch as you unfold a little magic in their life, and in yours.
Career
Sometimes the perfect job pops up at short notice. You’re left scrambling to update your CV and fill out selection criteria. Take 15 minutes now to add your current position to your CV. You’ll feel more in control to know the most recent version is completely up-to-date, ready to be sent at short notice if the role of your dreams presents itself.
Finances
People who take ‘proper holidays’ are usually the ones who plan well ahead. Spend 15 minutes with your partner or friends finding a suitable date for a break and lock it into your calendar. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know where you’ll go yet – figuring that out later is the fun part!
Email your boss with a request for leave now.
Then open a holiday account. You can do this online or over the phone. Create a direct debit, no matter how small, to come out each pay day. When we ‘pay ourselves first’ in time and money, we make wonderful things happen.
Personal development
We can become so entangled in our own comfort zones that we forget how exhilarating it can be to step out of them. Take 15 minutes to do something that scares you. It might be making a bold phone call for your business, signing up for dance classes or sending someone an original story you’ve written. No matter what you choose, make it slightly scary! Every small step we take into unknown territory helps us grow.
Fun & Recreation
Remember lying on the grass as a child, staring up at the sky? Lazy weekends were spent imagining shapes in the clouds and daydreaming. As adults, we’re so busy rushing from A to B, we rarely make time to ‘look up’ any more.
Take a picnic rug, find a tree and some comfy space on the ground, lie down and look up for a few minutes, either alone or with your kids. It’s these moments that ground us, relax us and remind us there’s more to life than our current set of responsibilities and challenges.
There are endless ways we can take small steps to improve our lives. Once you move into the 15-minutes mindset, you’ll soon realise the power of the ‘nooks and crannies’ in your day.
Avery magazine is delighted to offer readers a chance to win one of two My 15 Minutes 90-day Online Programs. Click HERE to visit our competitions page and enter.
