3 Ways to Make Time for Your Health

Time is the scarcest resource: and unless it can be managed, nothing else can be managed.

– Peter Drucker

In order to create a path to wellness in your life – a life where you feel vibrant, connected, loved, loving, balanced, at peace, on purpose, and authentic – you need to make space for creating the wellness you desire. The good news is that, with 10 Minute Wellness, you only need to commit a 10 minute block of time each day when you will do something nurturing for yourself. 10 Minutes – that’s all!

Why It’s Important

1.  Ample research has proven that self-care is actually essential to your well-being:

• increases self-confidence, self-control, and integrity
• helps you get clearer about your direction in life, who you are, and what you need and want
• helps you discover your true self

 

2.  The health benefits of self-nurturing are numerous: self-care has been shown to:

• improve immunity,
• increase positive thinking, and
• make you less susceptible to stress, depression, anxiety and other emotional health issues.

But self-care takes time and commitment. Taking time out to care for yourself helps remind you and others that your needs are important too. Feeling well cared for leads to feelings of calm and relaxation, and conveys to others that you value yourself, which contributes to long-term feelings of well-being. And, most importantly, taking time for self-care helps you become more loving, compassionate, and accepting of yourself and others.

 

How to Do It

First, you may need to let go of all your preconceived ideas about self-care. You might have notions about self-nurturing that block you from taking good care of yourself, like beliefs that self-care is self-indulgent, selfish, or a guilty pleasure. It isn’t. Self-care is healthy and holy. It is an affirmation of love for yourself that allows that love to extend to others, the world, and the Divine.

Examine your self-talk about taking time for yourself. Do you tell yourself things like: “I’m really tired, but can’t stop and rest because I have too much to do now”, or “I don’t get massages because they are such a luxury, and I don’t have time”? Instead, embrace the importance and value of self-nurturing.

Steven Covey says, “In managing and scheduling your life, the key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” The following method helps you put your own self-care and self-nurturing first. If you are willing to do this exercise, you will have taken a huge step towards learning to take better care of yourself.

 

3.  In Your Journal

• Take out your planner, smart phone, calendar, or whatever makes you most comfortable. Before you put anything else on it for the next 8 weeks, choose one 10-minute slot each day. I designed each activity in this book to take no more than 10 minutes. But, remember this means at least six days of the week.
• Write in Self-Care on each day of the week in the 10-minute slot you have chosen. Use your favorite colored marker to grab your attention.
• Commit to yourself that you will honor your self-care time. Remember – when you think self-care doesn’t matter, what you’re really saying is “I don’t matter”. This is not true. YOU DO MATTER. When this happens: Stop! Take three deep breaths, and recommit to let go of your fears and resistance. You are worth it!

Affirmation:

I have all the time I need.

—Linda Mercer

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to stretch the hours in my day. Today, I will be kind to myself and know that I am worthy of love and happiness.

—Linda Mercer