Creating Time for Yourself

As a caregiver, you probably feel like there aren’t enough hours in a day and, in the hours you do have, most are spent caring for others.

But if you think about it, is that really the case?

You may not notice this, but sometimes “I don’t have enough time for myself,” might actually mean “I’m not a priority”.

In this video, we’ll teach you…

The next time you feel that way, take a moment and really examine this thought. Is it true that you don’t have any time, or is it that you’re not making the time for yourself?

If you relate to the first answer, try to look at what you can take off your plate. Here’s what we recommend:

Reach out for support.
Ask a health care provider for time management tools or services that are available in your community. You can also contact your friends and family for additional support!

Create a time log.
Take note of how much time you spend doing something during the day. Are there tasks that you can delegate/assign to other people? Can you reprioritize what you spend your time on?

Look for time management applications, website or tools that can help manage your time. We also have an exercise on this. Need guide here.
It’s not easy to admit that you, in fact, do have time for yourself. But as is with everything, recognizing and acknowledging the problem is the first step to solving it.

The next time you think, “I don’t have time for myself,” try to change it to “I’m not a priority,” and see how that feels.

As a caregiver, you know that only you can make yourself a priority. So why not give it a shot?

Check out our other videos for more caregiver support and learning.