When people talk about time management, you’ll rarely hear them bring mental health into the equation. Managing your time means more than apportioning your day to get all of your work done. It’s also about having enough time to do what matters the most to you and live the life you deserve. A more apt name for time management might be personal management, as it can enhance many aspects of your life. Mastering personal management skills will give you more time to relax and take care of your mental health.

A balanced schedule will include time for you to stretch, meditate, and decompress. Between your personal life, work obligations, and your internal ups and downs, life can be stressful. While many people choose to adopt a work-comes-first attitude to combat high levels of professional or financial urgency, the 24/7 lifestyle tends to be unsustainable and damaging for your mental health. You need sleep, alone time, and time with your loved ones just as much as you need time spent working. Recharging is an important part of managing your time. It allows you to do the things you want to do effectively. Here are some ways to build effective self-care for your mental health into your daily time management.

Enjoying Your Alone Time

Some parts of life are better handled alone. Doing things alone means fewer distractions, differing opinions, and outside influences. Despite popular belief, many people prefer being alone at least some of the time; your personality type determines how much. Even if you don’t enjoy it at first, you may find that spending time alone is good for your mind. Being alone can have a positive or negative effect on you. Understanding how you view alone time can play a huge role in successfully managing your life.

If you enjoy spending time alone, it’s important to properly manage your time so you can decompress. An introverted person can thrive in solitude, while an extroverted person may dislike being alone. Still, even extroverts can benefit from alone time every once in a while. Spending time alone is essential to being at peace with yourself every day. During your time alone, you can read, meditate, stretch, and do breathing exercises to boost your mental health.

Managing Mental Health With Your Loved Ones

If you love spending time with your family, you may find it challenging to balance that time with your career and personal life. It can be agonizing to explain to your family that you can’t come to Thanksgiving dinner because you need a mental break. If you want to relieve the pressure of having those them-or-me conversations, try focusing on the overall quality of your family’s mental health. If you open the floor for everyone to communicate their thoughts and feelings, you’re likely to be better received when it comes time for you to take some time for yourself due to your mental state. People who love you will understand the importance of spending time alone to become stronger internally.

In some cases, you may want to consider a family therapist. You don’t have to wait until something is wrong to suggest professional assistance for your family’s mental health as a unit.

Enjoying Your Free Time in Peace

Once you take time off from work, family, and friends, you will have the space to regroup. Look at this time as a chance to recharge your batteries. When you’re charging an electronic device like a cell phone or laptop, it’s best to leave it alone and let it rest without being used. The same mindset goes for your personal recharging time. Everyone needs time to recharge beyond the hours they spend asleep. Low-energy activities like reading, stretching, meditating, and breathing exercises are perfect for downtime. Part of effective personal management is being productive enough when you’re working to ensure that you have plenty of time to enjoy your free time in peace. Ironically, to achieve peak productivity, you need to be getting proper rest.

Develop a schedule that includes time for sufficient rest. Try to wake up at the same time every morning and be in bed at the same time every night. Sleep is the basis of healthy personal and time management. Once you have established a solid sleep schedule, you can start to fit in more time for exercise, eating nutritious meals, and meditation. Not getting enough sleep and mismanaging your time can lead to stress, depression, or anxiety. Any of these cycles can spiral out of control and overwhelm you. Managing your time can act as a preventative method to many mental instabilities.

 

Learning to manage your time and mental health is an important part of effectively balancing your life.  In a world that congratulates overachievement, it’s more important than ever to check in with yourself frequently, get enough sleep, and recharge your emotional batteries. Discussing these needs with your friends, coworkers, and family will give them a better understanding of what you need to be productive and healthy. Taking small steps like spending an afternoon alone reading and meditating can go a considerable distance for your mental stability. Neglecting your mental health management can result in disorders like anxiety and depression. If certain parts of your lifestyle have gotten out of hand, don’t hesitate to reach out for professional assistance. At Kimberly Center in Fort Myers, Florida, our mission is to help you develop an effective approach to balancing the many components of your life. Contact us at (855) 452-3683 to learn more about the many ways our facility can help you.

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Effective time-management skills can serve as the basis for stable mental health. Receive life-changing guidance at Kimberly Center. Call (855) 452-3683.