Self Care and Time Management: How to Keep Your Life in Balance At All Times

By Dr. David S. Gruder, Ph.D., D.CEP

Do you manage your time effectively?

Do you keep your life in balance?

Do you maintain optimum physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness?

Do you take care of yourself the way you should?

Or, does the story below relate to you?

Sue never got enough sleep. She was lucky if she got 3 to 4 hours of sleep each night. There was just too much to do and not enough hours in the day to do it all. Lack of sleep turned out to be the tip of the iceberg for Sue. It did not matter to her how many work hours she had to put in, whether in the office or at home. Sue was always drained, perpetually scattered and alone. In time she confessed virtually every available wall in her amply sized executive office suite had stacks of papers, files and books propped up against it always on the verge of teetering over. Her home was so full of clutter she was embarrassed to invite friends or dates to visit. Similarly her mind felt like it was bulging at the seams. Her bank accounts were a mess. She regularly bounced checks despite having enough money to cover her expenses. Her social and love life were nearly nonexistent. She had no time for the jewelry she so dearly loved to create. Nor did she have time for the social causes that were close to her heart. Why? Because she didn't know how to manage her time and balance her life.

Sue had an under-energized, self-neglectful relationship with self-care in all aspects. She suffered from insufficiencies in:

* Inner Self-Care -- This resulted in exhaustion, irritability, weight problems, chronic stress, physical imbalances, weakened immune system and gluttony.

* Environmental Self-Care --Sue tolerated home and work ambiences that drained her. People began to undermine her wellbeing, self-esteem and her leadership abilities. Crisis and melodrama became part of Sue's lifestyle.

* Logistical Self-Care -- This resulted in complete disorganization. Sue was stretched too thin. She had imbalances between work and play and between spending and saving. She even fell behind with home maintenance or errands.

Healthy self-care is a key foundational element in all forms of integrity: self-integrity, relationship integrity, societal integrity and leadership integrity.

What is Self Care?

Self-Care is far different from self-centeredness. It is also far more than merely good sleep, nutrition and exercise habits. Our bodies are complex machine. We cannot sustain our energy unless we are supporting our spiritual, our psychological, our physical and our energetic aspects of our whole being.

Self-Care Is About Keeping Your:

* Energy strong and balanced
* Mind calm yet alert
* Body capable of supporting you in all areas of your life
* Environment nourishing
* Life logistics under control

7 Tips to Improve Your Self-Care & Balance Your Life Habits

1. Maintain Basic Physical Health Habits. You need to get enough quality sleep for your body's needs and movement. You also need to add a high-quality nutritional diet to your energy system balancing.

2. Add Time to Soothe, Recharge and Play. Engage in soothing habits that make you purr, such as a massage or a bath. Take time out to restore your inner juice with activities, such as watching your favorite sitcom, gardening or just about any truly creative endeavor that gives you energy. And, don't forget to participate in activities that bring out the kid in you.

3. Quiet Your Inner Voice. Participate in relaxing activities that allow you to enter inner silence and take a vacation from constant mind chatter. Some people use prayer to quiet their mind. Others will meditate. You can also do Tai Chi, Qigong or Yoga and simultaneously take care of your daily need for physical movement and internal quieting

4. Arrange your surroundings so that they most deeply nurture you. This includes not only your physical environments but your people environments as well.

5 Know your optimal blend between "alone time" and "people time."

6. Master goal setting, time management, file management and money management strategies. Balancing work with play, spending with saving, and making sure that your job and financial choices support your needs for creative self-expression and your ability to spend quality time with those you love while still having energy left over to be of service in the world in ways that call to you.

7. Streamline your chores and tasks, including home maintenance and errands

Self-Care is unavoidably a daily practice. No amount of rest, passion or acts of service can substitute for it. True Self-Care is simply "enlightened self-interest and service for the higher good."

Follow these tips and you will manage your time and balance your life.