Free time? What’s that, right?
I was speaking with the women on my email list, and the general theme of our conversations was, “take this year back.” And with all the stress and uncertainty that we’re feeling right now, I thought it’d be helpful to have a progressive chat. Because although we’re staying home, we don’t necessarily feel like we have more time.
We are going through some things, and our plans have been thrown out the window. I mean, I was supposed to be working in Brazil, and instead, here I am in my sweatpants.
But with that being said, this is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to create structure that does work for you. And it’s an opportunity to do less!
So let’s talk about some of the things that we can do in the face of uncertainty:
Do less: cut things off of your to-do list
Now that we have a bit of time away from our regular routines, we can look at them more thoughtfully. What do you normally do that you’re happy to have a break from right now?
Let’s just be honest. You don’t have to say it out loud or to your boss, but I bet you can think of something that you’re definitely not missing. And is that something you can eliminate in the long-term?
Let’s say there’s a journal club that you weren’t enjoying. Now that you don’t have to go, how are you feeling about that? If it’s relief, how about just eliminating it from your schedule altogether.
I mean, I hope that doesn’t sound unscholarly… I’m just saying. Why read articles with no practical application? (There are several reasons, I know, and if you enjoy that, you’re a real one. More power to you.)
But when things go back to “normal,” whatever that’ll mean in the future, make sure you enjoy what you’re doing.
Add rest and play
So now that your Wednesday mornings are free (because journal clubs are always at some early weekday hour), think about filling that space in with something for you. And here’s a hint: it’s okay to use that hour to sleep. Or to do your hair. Or to read something that is actually interesting.
When we find ourselves having more time, the natural tendency for multi-passionate women is to fill that up with other “productive” tasks. Right? But let me just remind you that taking care of yourself is a productive task.
I want to challenge you to think about one area in your life that you can improve. For me, that’s being consistent with my workouts. Y’all know that I am not the best at going to the gym, but now that we can’t, I am so glad for my home workouts. And now that I’m almost always at home, there’s no reason why I can’t find time to work out.
Learn something new… just because
Again, now that we’re not in journal club, what skills have you been interested in learning? If there’s something you always wanted to try or learn, maybe now’s the time! It’s fun to learn something new when you’ve picked the topic.
Side note: please do not make this a bigger project than it needs to be. I don’t mean learn a new language (unless you’ve been meaning to). I don’t mean start a whole new master’s program (note to self). I mean digest a small chunk of interesting information.
Maybe just one chapter in a book, or a small DIY project, or how to put on makeup (another note to self).
Passive learning is fine here too… I’ve watched more interior design videos this week than I have in a while. Am I designing a new space? Not now. But has it been interesting? Absolutely.
What not to do with your “free time”
As we’re thinking of future projects and skills and all that good stuff, I just wanted to remind you of some things that are not helpful. Some things that you should avoid doing when you’ve got more time than expected are:
- Comparing yourself to others
- Scrolling through too much social media (Read: How to Stop Scrolling)
- Falling back into hurtful ways of thinking, or even
- Falling back into bad habits
I am so cognizant of the fact that during stressful times, we can reach for things and behaviours that aren’t the best. They’re just what’s available.
If you’ve worked through something in the past, please armour yourself up. Please be even more aware that right now is not the time to take chances with that same thing. Now is the time to recognize your progress and keep it up.
And if you need some support, that is more than okay. I’m proud of you for recognizing that.
Summary
So, to sum it up, sometimes things suck.
No, but seriously, sometimes our plans change and what we thought we were going to do just isn’t possible. Rather than getting upset, a more productive solution would be to reorganize your time.
We mentioned some things to consider:
- Cutting things off your to-do list
- Adding rest and play
- Learning something new
And some things to avoid:
- Comparing yourself to others
- Consuming too much social media
- Falling back into hurtful ways of thinking
- Falling back into bad habits
I hope this has been helpful, and please know that you are always welcome to join our email list for more tips and tricks about how to be productive while also being kind to yourself. Talk soon!
