Where Does The Time Go?
Feb 08, 2024
Historically women have tended to the home and the children. Then, women started moving into the workforce more and more, but didn’t reduce any of the time they had committed to the home. This is an impossible equation because the time available did not increase with the doubling of commitments. This is why it can feel impossible to do it all…because it is.
98% of the students in our children’s yoga teacher training program are women. We’re still the primary caregivers of children in our homes and in the community.
To support your teaching in the community, we must support the reality of your schedule. And, help you find the time for self-care giving too.
Time is universal – everyone has the same 24 hours. Time is also subjective. When doing something you love, hours fly by. Doing something you dread makes one minute seem like a lifetime.
The foundation of self-care is making the most of time. There are two parts to this. The first is mindset. You can begin to shift your relationship with time and make sure the time you have is being used in alignment with your values and aspirations.
The second part is awareness. How much time is dedicated to what? When you know what you’re spending your time doing, you can discern if this time is being used for what you value most.
A simple tool for becoming more aware is time journaling. Rather than just tracking what you are doing in 15-minute increments, track the time, the task and how you feel. This is the key. I’ll give you an example.
It’s 8am. I’m sitting down to write a newsletter. I feel relieved to have an outline to work with.
9am. First draft of the newsletter is done. That feels great. Along the way, I fell down a few rabbit holes while researching a few facts online. Note to self: rather than leaving the document to research, make a note and keep writing. Research later.
9pm. Getting ready for bed.
10:30pm. Got into bed and grabbed my phone to check tomorrow’s weather. It was too easy to drift into social media posts and though I knew this wasn’t a good idea, I was too tired and my “decision-making gas tank” was too low to pull away. Note to self: leave the phone in my office and use the wooden alarm clock I got for this very reason.
I’m gaining awareness and making empowered choices that give me time back. These aren’t crucial tasks that keep the wheels on the track. Much of our time is devoured by distractions or default. Time journaling can help bring awareness to these so we have time for the important things. This is the foundation of self-care – finding the time to do the things that vitalize you.
Technology is a modern miracle…and super distracting. Here are three tips for tech use to gain even more time for self-care.
Three Tips For Tech
1) Clean up your apps. Go through your phone and delete all apps you no longer use. The app for the music festival from two years ago, the Charades game you downloaded during the holidays, shopping apps and more. Then, create folders like – social, productivity, finances, contacts, travel, etc. and get your phone down to one screen.
2) Go on an unsubscribe rampage. Do you need an email from Kohl’s every day? Think of your email as everyone else’s to-do list (buy this, etc.) and get rid of it.
3) Declare places and times as tech-free. The bedroom, the bathroom, the dinner table. One hour before sleep, one hour after sleep. Get a beautiful box or basket for the kitchen that everyone in the family can place their phone into on the way to the dinner table. Keep your phone plugged in and/or in a drawer in your home office overnight.
Just like picking up the clutter that accumulates around the house, attending to digital clutter regularly can free up time, energy and attention so you have more time to take care of what's most important - YOU!
