Lack of time is a major cause of stress for most of us. It's also at
the centre of a number of problems when it comes to weight management.
It's often the main reason given for not eating a healthy diet and not
following an active lifestyle. Stress also causes many people to
overeat or drink. Those who manage to maintain a healthy lifestyle
despite a busy schedule have mastered the art of time management.
It's important to appreciate that time management is not
simply a way to squeeze more activities into your day - that might lead
to even more stress. It's about finding ways to reduce unnecessary or
time-wasting tasks and replacing them with activities that will improve
your life and well-being. Priorities - learn to live them. All of the
activities on your schedule represent choices and priorities. You make
them and then you live with them. Others will dictate some of your
choices, but it is still your decision how and when you complete the
tasks they have imposed on you. Taking personal responsibility for our
actions is an important part of weight management. Taking
responsibility for your time is all part of that process. Many of us
get so involved in just making it through the week, we lose sight of
why we're doing some of the things we do. Review your goals and your
priorities. Is your life currently organised to help achieve them? Ask
yourself the following questions:
- Does my schedule reflect my priorities? Do I say certain things are
important to me, but spend very little time making them happen?
- What are my major time wasters? Identify interruptions, delays,
activities that could be shortened or eliminated (e.g. are you
attending a meeting that you really don't need to attend?) Is there
something you are doing that someone could do?
- Is my life in balance? Is there time for playing, relaxing, being creative, being with the family?
- How important is my weight management and health? Have I allocated
an appropriate amount of time to maintaining both (physical and mental
health)? Make leading a healthy lifestyle a priority. It will give you
a sense of calm, confidence and the energy to help keep the rest of
your life on track. Maybe some organising will help Sometimes, just
being better organised can free up hours of time.
Here are some tips others have found useful:
- Clean up clutter. Set aside a few minutes at the end of your day to
clean up. You'll waste a lot less time if you know where everything is.
- Make a To Do list. But make sure you prioritise the tasks and you take care of the most important or urgent ones first.
- Use an organiser - paper or electronic. Either is a good way to keep you on track with what's important.
- Invest in a filing cabinet/system. Your personal life often needs
organising too. Once again, it may save you a lot of time later.
- Think about organising some of your routine bills to be
automatically deducted from your bank or credit account. Writing
cheques and mailing can be time consuming. You can still cast your eye
over a bill to make sure it's correct, but once that's done, you're
free.
- When you use a grocery item, add it to your shopping list
- Call ahead before you go shopping for big items to make sure it is in stock
- Negotiate and delegate. Do what you're good and efficient at and
get rid of tasks that are better handled by others Simplify your life
and release more time.
There are many ways to simplify your life and release an abundance of free time:
- Extra-curricular activities. Are you (or your family members) really benefiting from a particular activity?
- If you're asked to help with volunteer activities, try and select a
'one-time' project. Even if it takes a large block of time now, it may
be a lot more efficient than getting involved in a long term project.
- Think low-maintenance. There are lots of 'easy-care' options for
clothing, furniture, appliances etc. Maybe a sprinkler system on a
timer could help you manage the garden. If you're planning a garden,
look for low maintenance options. Apply the same principle to personal
grooming. Would a change in your hairstyle free up 10 minutes a day?
That's over an hour a week!
- Hire some help. If you can afford it, get some help with cleaning
or gardening. If your well-being really is important to you, it's worth
every cent.
- Finally, learn how to say no. It doesn't have to be offensive, just firm
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enjoying fresh and healthy food. Take a trip to a fresh produce market
on weekends and buy your 'allowed foods' there instead of the
supermarket. |
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