When you are working hard at your career and trying to please those around you, keeping up a social life whilst also trying to live in a clean house, it can be hard to find the time to just please yourself and relax. Life is made up of priorities that often need to be put before making time for yourself. However, everyday you should do something that you enjoy, it doesn’t have to take up much time, 5 minutes is enough to listen to your favourite song or read your favourite blog.

Here are some of the ways in which you can work some time off for yourself into your schedule!

Learn to Say No

Sometimes when you are asked to do something you can feel obligated to do it, but it is ok to say no every once in a while. We’re not saying to reject every favour or social gathering but if there is something that you don’t want to do or if there is something else that you want to prioritise for yourself then that is ok! It can be hard at first to turn people down but sometimes you just need to put yourself first, there is no need to feel guilty about that.

Not Everything Needs to Be Perfect

After work if you feel like there are emails that still need answering or that there are dishes that haven’t been cleaned you can feel pressured to get these tasks done. You should give yourself a cut off point in the day where your work should stop, most of the time things can wait until the next day. Prioritise your work load and as long as the most important things are completed then everything else will be able to wait. No one expects you to be able to do everything all at once. Furthermore, giving yourself a break from tasks means that you will be more focused when you come back to them.

Know What It Is That You Want to Make Time For

In order to give yourself enough time off, make sure you know what it is that you want to do in that time. If you want time to read, then head to bed earlier so you have half an hour before you go to sleep to get into a book (which is much better for you than checking your phone) or if there is a particular sport that you want to do make sure you book yourself in for a session and make other tasks fit in around that time off.

Switch Off

Time for yourself should be a way to relieve stress, you don’t want to have any worry’s as this will ruin your ‘me time’. Have a bath or put a podcast on, do something that will take your mind off other things. If you struggle with this maybe it would be good to try some meditation or mindfulness. When you get home from work switch off and get out of work mode, your home you should be a place for you to relax.

Make Chores Fun

When the house is looking like it really needs a clean, make this a fun activity and it will feel like time off. Put some great music on and buy cleaning products that you like the smell of. You’ll feel so much more satisfied when everything is tidy and the time has gone quickly while you were doing it. Chores don’t have to be boring.

Once you have worked time off into your daily life you should be able to see improvements in your mood and your work ethic. Sometimes it is important to just be you.