You can't read anything anymore without stumbling across some article that stresses the importance of "me time". You agree it's important. You know you need it. But the reality is there just isn't any time for it. All of the hours in your day are filled up and you really don't feel as though you can sleep any less than you already do. Are you just going to have to do without?
Absolutely not! If you want to take me time, you have to MAKE me time.
In an average 24-hour day, 8 hours are spent sleeping (hopefully), leaving 16 hours remaining. If you work outside the home, telecommute or run your own business, you've committed 9-10 more hours (including commute time, if applicable), reducing the hours available to 6.
Getting ready for work in the morning and going to bed at night may eat up another hour and a half. Now you're down to 4.5 hours left in the day. But you still haven't cooked dinner, done any laundry, helped with homework, chauffeured the kids around and picked up around the house.
How can you do all of that and take me time? By spending that 4.5 hours more efficiently.
The following tips will help you to do just that.
1. Dinner doesn't have to eat up (pun intended) a lot of time. Between slow cookers and delicious 30-minute meal recipes, dinner can be ready in 40 minutes or less.
2. While your food is cooking, wash some of the dishes you used during preparation and set the table.
3. Have your family help you get dinner ready. It's a great opportunity to get something done AND catch up.
4. While you're making dinner, have your kids do their homework at the dinner table. That way you'll be available for quick questions. If they need help with problems that will be more long and involved, save those for after dinner. In the meantime, they can finish most of their homework while you cook.
5. When you're on the phone catching up with friends or family, clean the kitchen. It's amazing what you can accomplish during a conversation. Wipe down the counter tops, empty the dishwasher, clean the inside of the microwave, scrub the top of the stove, and wipe the refrigerator door.
6. Use your toaster oven more and your regular oven less. Many toaster ovens come with a baking or convection feature. Use it as much as you possibly can. Not only will you save on your electric bill but the toaster oven is much easier to clean. And when the trays get so that you just cannot clean them anymore, throw them away. You can purchase inexpensive replacements at Bed, Bath and Beyond or Linens n Things.
7. Limit after school activities. Yes childhood is a time to try many different things---just not all at once! Limiting extracurricular involvements will reduce the stress level in the family; allow kids plenty of time for homework and sleeping and help you keep your sanity.
8. Create a box or tote bag for yourself stuffed with magazines you want to read, notes you want to write, bills you have to pay, grocery lists you want to make, coupons you want to go through, etc. Take this with you whenever you drive your kids to their activities. While you're waiting for them, get out your box and keep yourself productive in the meantime.
9. Determine a laundry schedule that works for you and stick to it. Some families like to do a little bit each day. Some families prefer to do it once a week. The nice thing about laundry is that you can put a load in and then go do something else.
10. Make your house LOOK clean, even when it is not.
a. Keep it clear of clutter. When a home is clutter free it looks cleaner, even if the dust is piled up.
b. Insist that beds be made every morning. It really only takes a minute.
c. Don't let dishes pile up in the kitchen sink. Put them in the dishwasher. If they are not dishwasher safe, store them in there until you have time to wash them.
d. Do not allow clothes to be thrown around the room or piled up. If they're dirty, they go in the hamper. If they need to be dry cleaned, put them in a bag specifically designated for this purpose. Otherwise hang them up or put them away.
e. Room most items from the bathroom counter tops. If something MUST sit out, purchase an attractive container to store it in.
Jackie McLaughlin operates Making Me Time.com (http://www.makingmetime.com), a website dedicated to showing you how to make time for "me time" every single day! Subscribe to the FREE monthly ezine full of tips and tricks to free up hours in your week. Send a blank email to makingmetime-subscribe@yahoogroups.com