Reclaiming Time
Recently, a patient of mine inspired me with the idea that she was “reclaiming some of her time” by cutting down on bad habits that snuck in over the summer. I love this way to reframe our patterns and become a little more self-aware. So often we get lazy and lackadaisical when the days are long and we think we have all the time in the world to get things done. Realistically, for most of us, we end up just burning that time doing silly things or distracting ourselves. We forget routine helps us; along with other things that we know is a priority…like eating well, stretching or exercising, or even the simple act of drinking water. The end of summer is always when we’re burned out, let things slip, and need to shape up before school starts/ prep for Q3!
Truthfully, I am 100% guilty of spending time in the “wrong” ways occasionally. Exhibit A: usually I use the early mornings to knock out exercise or food prep for the day, but lately I’ve been rolling out of bed at the last possible second or spending my time doom-scrolling on social media instead of getting up and doing something else more important! (See, we’re definitely not perfect!) Of course, everyone needs time spent like this occasionally, but the daily allotment feels like it's a bit out of balance.
Here are some ways I’ll be cleaning up, or reclaiming, my free time:
Using my mornings to be productive again. No social media scrolling first thing when I wake up!
Focus on movement. Even if I have 30 minutes to exercise, make the choice to “reclaim” that 30 minutes as my own instead of wasting it– even if it's just stretching. It doesn’t have to be a HIIT workout, it just has to be intentional.
Reclaiming SLEEP! I am a terrible sleep procrastinator, so instead of staying up an extra hour to watch TV, I’m vowing to use that time to read, do a face mask, or connect with my husband at the end of a long day.
What are the bad habits that have snuck up on you? How can you reclaim your time and increase your productivity as we move forward into fall? Make it empowering! Let me know what you try and how it works for you.
Your Skin’s End-of-Summer Survival Guide…Because your skin’s not ready for pumpkin spice just yet.
