Making time for yourself doesn’t have to mean finding room for even more things on your to-do list. Sometimes it’s about looking at where your time is already going and asking how much of it actually belongs to you. Rest, relationships, play and even leaving some time completely unfilled all deserve a place in your life. However, when life gets busy, those are often the things that are easiest to push aside. These lists are meant to help you think about what matters to you, what might be getting pushed aside and where you could make a little more room for yourself.
As you work through the lists, notice what stands out to you – including a few things you may not have thought about in a while. Choose the ideas that feel right for you, add a few of your own and decide which ones you’d like to prioritize. You on’t need to do everything on the list – think of it as inspiration for deciding what deserves a spot in your days.
Rest + Recharge
- Get a full night of sleep
- Go to bed early
- Sleep in when you have the chance
- Take a nap
- Take a real lunch break
- Give yourself an hour of uninterrupted downtime
- Plan a slow morning
- Take a day off
- Spend an evening doing absolutely nothing productive
- Give yourself time to decompress after a busy day
- Put your phone away for an hour
- Leave an entire morning or afternoon unscheduled
Take Care of Yourself
- Schedule an overdue health appointment
- Schedule a personal-care appointment
- Get outside for at least 20 minutes
- Move your body in a way you enjoy
- Take a walk just to clear your head
- Do something that helps your body feel better
- Make yourself a nourishing meal
- Check in with how you’re actually feeling
- Spend time on a self-care routine you enjoy
- Take care of something you’ve been ignoring because you’ve been too busy
Make Life Easier
- Plan your meals for the week
- Prep something now that will make meals easier later
- Restock the groceries and household basics you’re running low on
- Do a weekly home reset
- Reset one space that’s been stressing you out
- Catch up on your laundry
- Finish an errand you’ve been putting off
- Take care of a repair or replacement you’ve been ignoring
- Organize one thing that regularly causes frustration
- Prepare for a busy day or week ahead
- Do one thing today that Future You will appreciate
- Finish one lingering task that’s taking up mental space
Make Time for Your People
- Plan a date night
- Make plans with a friend
- Spend intentional time with your family
- Call someone you’ve been meaning to talk to
- Check in with someone you care about
- Celebrate someone’s birthday or milestone
- Spend distraction-free time with someone you love
- Make time for someone you haven’t seen lately
- Spend some extra quality time with your pet
Fill Your Cup
- Spend an hour on a hobby you love
- Read just for fun
- Play a game you enjoy
- Make something just because you want to
- Work on a personal project you’re excited about
- Learn something purely because it interests you
- Do a favorite seasonal activity
- Plan something you’re excited to look forward to
- Do something you’ve been wanting to do “when you have time”
- Make time for something that always puts you in a better mood
Protect Your Time
- Say no to something you don’t have the capacity for
- Cancel something you no longer want or need to do
- Move a non-urgent task to another day
- Leave buffer time between commitments
- Keep one evening completely free
- Keep a weekend day free from obligations
- Give yourself catch-up time before a busy week
- Remove one unnecessary thing from your to-do list
- Block out time for something important before your calendar fills up