FIVE Sneaky Ways To Nab Some 'Me Time' In Your Day | Life Love and Hiccups: FIVE Sneaky Ways To Nab Some 'Me Time' In Your Day
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Monday 6 June 2016

FIVE Sneaky Ways To Nab Some 'Me Time' In Your Day

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I hear it all the time from my friends... heck I used to SAY it all the time myself, like a broken bloody record in fact - "wahhh there's just not enough hours left in the day for me".

Well folks, I'm calling bullcrap on that old cherry because there is enough time in the day for us... we just need to be a little sneakier *ahem* smarter about how we go about claiming for ourselves.

I'm going to let you in on a few little tips, tips that will hopefully see you grabbing some precious time back for yourself each day and the key here my friends is multi tasking!

Yep, multi tasking is gonna be your NEW best friend.

Think about how you use multi tasking to manage all the things you have to do each day for your family and work and the home, yada yada and then take one, just one of those multitasking opportunities and use it for yourself and BOOM 'Me time'... or 'you time'... or whatever, you know what I mean.
Let's take a look at five ways multitasking could be your saviour.

1. SCHOOL DROP OFF

Ok, so usually you drive the kids to school via the shortest route from A to B right?

Makes sense.

And then when you are driving back or to wherever you need to go from there, you generally do the same huh?

Well here's a little suggestion for you - take the looooong way home.

Aha! Grab yourself a coffee (drive through Maccas is always good for a hot spill resistant cuppa) crank the music up and take your time. Bonus win if you get stuck in some traffic because hey... you can't control the traffic and if you have to sit in it in the comfort of your car for a while and listen to some tunes or a podcast or whatever... well then FOR THE WIN I say.

If you really can't stand the traffic, then just drive down some different streets to the ones you would normally take, soak up some new scenery, maybe even stop at a park or the beach or somewhere picturesque on your way home or to work and go for a quick 15 minute walk.

When anyone asks where you were - you were simply doing the school drop off.

You can't argue with that!

2. GROCERY SHOPPING

Is there anything worse than arriving at the shops to get your week's worth of groceries and realising you don't have a list?

I mean what a a major time waster or what!

There you are wandering the aisles trying to figure out what you need for 7 days worth of breakfasts lunches and dinners... and you could be doing something else right? Right!

My advice is this; you know that little coffee shop you pass by on your way to the grocery store?

Yep that one. Well, there's a chair in that coffee shop with your name on it and you really need to take 15 minutes to sit down and prepare your shopping list aaaand if there just so happens to be a hot cup of coffee, a banana friand and a fresh new edition of Gourmet Traveler on the table in front of you, who are you to argue?!

Yeah, you're getting the hang of this.



3. RUNNING ERRANDS

So, you need to drop off the dry cleaning, pop into the bank and pick up some stationery supplies for one of the kid's school assignments... but wait... what is that between the bank and the dry cleaners?

A nail salon?

Well it would be practically remiss of you to NOT just pop in for a quick mani or pedi.

I mean really, you didn't ASK for the salon to be located in between two places you have to go to anyway and besides taking care of yourself and your body is an absolute must yeah?

Or something like that...

4. ARRIVE EARLY

Personally, this excuse multi tasking gem is hands down my favourite.

I hate being late to anything and so I think it is very important that one allows oneself time to get to where ones going safely and without the need to rush.

OK, so you arrived two hours early... I mean who knew you were going to get such a great run on the roads.

Now you are there, you may as well put the spare time to good use. You know, appreciate the scenery, support the local economy, fuel your body...

What?

It is a totally legitimate use of time people!



5. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS

In this particular case - you are going to support your local post office.

Alright, so I may be pushing the boundaries a little with this one but... picture this; you arrive at the post office to find the queue is practically out the door. Clearly they are very busy in there and how could you possibly add to their stress by standing their tapping your feet at the end of the line and feel good about yourself.

In this case you have two choices...

Choice one: go do a little window shopping, grab a bite to eat, sit in a book store and devour the first few chapters of the latest best seller or get your eyelashes tinted and your eyebrows waxed, what ever tickles your fancy really, because whatever it is you choose to do is irrelevant really, because by doing so, you are taking the pressure off your local postie staff for a while.

You're a good Samaritan so pat yourself on your back and kick that guilt to the kerb girlfriend.

Choice two: Now this one is for the real do gooders out there because not only does it help out the post office staff, it also lends a hand to the sorting staff at the mail centre and the postie too!

You are going to take that letter, parcel or bill, get in your car and personally deliver that mail for yourself.

I know, I know... that's going to take some serious time out of your day and you might actually get lonely sitting in that car all by yourself for all that time with no one but the peaceful tunes on the radio to keep you company and a takeaway subway sanger to nourish you... but hey - you are doing something good to help out someone else here *cough cough* so don't feel bad about the fact that you just so happen to get some serious 'me time / you time' mileage in the process.

Now tell me... am I not just some kind of multi tasking well-being good Samaritan guru or what??!!

Cue the tongue in cheek and exit stage left ... I'll just go back to my washing shall I?

OK so what are some legit ways you reckon you could nab a little 'me time / you time' in your day without completely wroughting the system and feeling super shitty?