Fall is a busy time for most of us moms. Between fall sports, school activities, and the holiday season, we have very little time for self-care. The first full week in September is a great time to schedule some self-care before the hustle of the holiday season begins. POWER Pockets™, the 15-minute gaps of idle time in your day, help you add self-care into your busy schedule.
Add self-care into your schedule
The Labor Day holiday is one of my favorites! Not only do I get to relax over a long 3-day weekend, it also signals the unofficial beginning of fall for me. Labor Day weekend is a great time to review your goals and plan how to finish out the year strong. This weekend is also the perfect time to intentionally schedule self-care and make yourself a priority.
create your own “labor week”
A few years ago, I began a tradition I call Labor Week. Instead of relaxing just on Labor Day, I decided to spread it out over the entire week! (Yes, I totally made Labor Week up!)
FINDING YOUR FREE TIME!
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For Labor Week, simply plan one POWER Pocket™ (15-minute gap in your workday) each day during the week of Labor Day to pamper yourself. It’s that simple.
So, Tuesday through Friday of this week, spend one POWER Pocket™ each day doing something that relaxes you and have your own Labor Week celebration. Schedule it and treat is as importantly as any other appointment on your schedule. The 15-minutes of self-care is amazingly rejuvenating.
HOW TO FIND time for self-care
I use 15-minute gaps of idle time throughout my work day to complete important personal tasks, including self-care. I call those 15-minute gaps, POWER Pockets™. You can read more about them here. Examples of POWER Pockets™ include your lunch break, a 15-minute work break, a gap between meetings, on the train commute to work, waiting in the school pick-up line, or waiting at your child’s soccer practice. These are all examples of gaps in your day when you can dedicate some time to pamper yourself and have a little me-time.
15-minute self-care ideas
Here are a few of my favorite ideas for 15-minutes of self-care at work:
- Journal
- Pray
- Meditate
- Read a book
- Watch funny videos
- Call a friend or family member
- Take a walk
- Do some stretching or yoga
- Eat some chocolate or a special treat
- Listen to music & have your own dance party
- Deep breathing exercises
- Scroll through social media
Take a few minutes this Labor Day to plan ahead and schedule one self-care POWER Pocket™ for the next 4 days. By Friday, you will have spent one full hour relaxing and rejuvenating yourself during Labor Week! After Labor Week, you’ll be more energized and ready to take on your busy fall schedule.
CONTINUE TO schedule rest & relaxation
According to article written by Matthew Glowiak of Southern New Hampshire University, self-care has many benefits including reducing stress, anxiety and depression. I encourage you to remember how important self-care is for you, and continue to plan at least one self-care POWER Pocket™ into your schedule each week. Even 15-minutes of self-care can make a difference for you.
