Are you a girl with a busy schedule? Do you feel like, on top of your busy schedule, you can’t seem to keep your mental health in check? You find yourself feeling overwhelmed, stressed, sad or just off balance and it’s distracting you from the grind. I know how it goes. Here are just a few things I’ve found that have helped me, a girl with a busy schedule who used to find it hard to find time to do mental health maintenance. Feel free to try them out and throw out the ones that don’t work for you and add things that you find do work. Everyone is different, but these are some simple key things that made a world of difference for me.
1. Budget Your Time
Maybe this one’s kind of a given, and maybe you’re already doing this. If that’s the case, great! Go ahead and skip this point. Although, if you’re not budgeting your time with a busy schedule and you’re struggling to stay on top of your mental health, this is key. Budgeting your time will help you feel less rushed and overwhelmed; both of which can lead to negative intrusive thoughts and will make you perform less than great. Get yourself a planner or even try something as simple as writing a to-do list. It will help a lot. Budgeting your time can help you organize your responsibilities so that you can own them, not the other way around. This will help you feel more in control of your schedule and, by extension, your health and outlook on life.
2. Don’t Forget to Schedule in “Me Time”
Since you obviously followed the first point and are now budgeting your time while you’re sitting there making your to-do list, put “me time” on that. “Me time” can mean different things to different people. It can be as simple as meditating, watching an episode of your favorite show, taking time to visit someone who always helps ground you or taking a walk for a change of scenery. Make sure that, in your busy schedule, you have a little time where you don’t have any obligations right at that moment. Then you can just focus on being present and positive instead of on all the things you need to do and the limited time you have to do them. Even if your “me time” lasts five minutes, you’ll find that a little time to recharge by yourself can really help you refocus on positivity and can really improve your outlook if you’re starting to feel negatively or off balance.
3. Know When to Take a Day Off
This one is tricky for a lot of people. It’s like extreme “me time” and it can be hard to tell when you deserve or need a day off. But basically, that can be any day that you’re feeling too overwhelmed and unhealthy; however you define that. Taking a mental health day every once in a while can be a little oasis in a busy life. They shouldn’t happen all the time. If you find yourself needing to take a day off all the time, then that is a sign that you’re not in a good place to have such a busy schedule. But if you use a day off as a way to recharge when you’re feeling especially low and then recommit to the grind right after, then it can really be beneficial for keeping your mental health in check.
4. Enjoy Little Things That You Can Squeeze into Your Schedule
Whether it’s the bus ride from work to school that goes past the park or your hump day Starbucks, enjoy it! Life is really cool but, unfortunately, that can be easy to forget when you’re rushing around trying to be a girl boss and possibly neglecting your mental health in the process. This is a good way to remember that you can have both. You can handle a busy schedule but also be happy and satisfied with your quality of life! It’s totally possible and you’re totally capable. Just remember to look around and make the most of the little joys that naturally slip themselves into your busy days.
5. Practice Calming Exercises Throughout Your Daily Routine
When the bad days and bad thoughts come, have a plan. Have a plan for when this happens during a busy day, in the middle of a work meeting or when you’re stuck in rush hour traffic. What little things help you feel grounded? Maybe it’s repeating positive affirmations to yourself or doing a calming breathing exercise. Find what works best for yourself and keep it in your back pocket in case you start feeling off in the middle of something important.
6. Work Hard, Play Hard
Girl, if your schedule is this busy you are working v hard. Pat yourself on the back and remember to have fun sometimes too. Remember to make time for your friends and going out or, if your idea of fun is binge watching Shameless, do that! Just make sure that when it’s the weekend, you have at least a little time to actually treat it like a weekend. Make sure you’re doing things you enjoy and find fun, which is so important for your mental health. Life is meant to be enjoyed and having something fun to look forward to at the end of the week can help you stay motivated and positive. You work so hard, you deserve a good time every once in a while.
7. Don’t Expect Perfection
Another important part of remaining positive and viewing yourself in a healthy light is being able to remind yourself that you’re doing your best and that is good enough. No one is perfect, so don’t expect yourself to be. If you don’t quite finish all of the things you wanted to finish that day, it’s ok. If you don’t ace that test, it’s all right. Shrug it off and tell yourself you tried your hardest. In the end, that’s all you can do. You are doing enough. You are enough.
In the end, all that really matters is that you’re happy. It’s totally possible to be happy and well-balanced with a busy schedule. If you’re an ambitious girl with lots on her plate who sometimes struggles with her mental health, you got this. It takes some time to figure out what works best for you. You’ll need to learn how to work time to take care of yourself around your responsibilities, but it can be done. I’m not saying it will be easy, but you are tough and you can take on your crazy schedule and feel great doing so. However, these tips are, in no way, something to take the place of professional help. Always be aware of the resources your community has to offer and know that it’s always ok to ask for help. The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.