Self-Care Time - The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

Archive for 'Self-Care Time'

Find Time for “Movement Moments” in Your Day!

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Paula, under Self-Care Time, Time and Energy.

Finding time to get everything done in a day doesn’t always leave a lot of space for giving yourself what you need. And did you know that what you need includes movement?

If you spend a lot of time working on-line, your day might easily have you glued to the computer hour upon hour. It can be engrossing work, but in order to be productive and take good care of yourself, it’s imperative that you find time to move.

Notice, I didn’t say find time to exercise. That is very important, too – but right now it’s really just moving that I am talking about. And all you need is a minute to give yourself what you need.

You see, our bodies are built to move. Inside, we are perpetually moving, as our hearts beat, our blood flows, and our in-breaths are followed by out-breaths. Sitting still for hours on end is a strain. It leaves our bodies stiffening while our energy pools and gets sluggish.

The solution?

I suggest that you make sure that you create brief Movement Moments for yourself every 45-minutes or so. Use a timer if that helps you stay on track. At 45-minute intervals stop what you are doing, get up, and move in whatever way feels good to you. (Do this in privacy, if you can, so that you don’t feel constrained.) Here are some ideas for what you could do:

Jumping jacks;
Leg lunges;
Lifting small weights;
Going up and down stairs;
Doing sit-up’s or leg-lifts;
Stretching;
Whatever feels right at the moment!

Do the movements you choose vigorously for about a minute, then go back to work. It hardly interrupts your flow, and it offers immense refreshment while it also gets your energy flowing again.

In addition, this kind of movement helps you avoid injury and health issues that can arise from lives that, while very busy, can also be very sedentary.

As you give yourself the gift of Movement Moments throughout your day, notice how they affect your energy, focus, and productivity. Try keeping track of this for a week, and see what you discover.

And are you interested in learning more about the Heart-Based Time Management™ Path? Here’s one way that you can transform and deepen your relationship to time in the Heart-Based Way … I invite you to explore Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management™ – my chapter in the book I co-authored - Stepping Stones to Success! In it I share my proven system for exploring and harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.

As you work with the ideas I offer, you’ll explore your patterns, clarify your values, identify and prioritize your goals … and create your path for achieving them. You can give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone …just click this link to get the details!

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Find Time to Recover: 3 Keys for Healing and Resilience

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Paula, under Self-Care Time, Time and Energy.

Finding time to recover, whether from an illness or a life event that has thrown you off track is key to your resilience.

And what is resilience?

Well, the definition, according to Merriam-Webster (on-line version) is:

1: the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress

2: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

I also found the Wikipedia definition of Psychological resilience interesting, and in particular this passage:

In all these instances, resilience is best understood as a process. It is often mistakenly assumed to be a trait of the individual, an idea more typically referred to as “resiliency”.[12]

It is especially important to remember that resilience is a process not a character trait! Indeed, the last thing you need when going through a tough time is to feel that you are somehow flawed because you are not bouncing back fast enough!

What you DO need to enhance your resilience and recovery are these 3 Keys:

Acceptance: Start right where you are. Accepting reality is your first step in beginning to bounce back. Until you reach that point of acceptance, you will be at odds with yourself.

Compassion: This relates directly to the ‘process’ part of your resilience. If you are greeting yourself with empathy and an open heart, you are much more likely to find your way through. Walking your path with compassion will ease AND speed your recovery process. That’s because compassion allows you to find the right pace for you. Without compassion you are likely to try to move too quickly – and your process will come to a halt.

Gratitude: Whatever comes your way, a grateful heart produces a transformative alchemy every time. As you move through your difficulties, thank yourself for each and every step. This energizes you and reinforces your efforts. As George Colman, the 18th century English dramatist beautifully said: “Praise the bridge that carried you over.”

Bonus Fact: One of the things about our human resilience that I find most wonderful is that we don’t simply ‘bounce back’ to the same shape that we had before. We are changed by the process and come out of it with new insights and a deepened sense of self. Not only do we survive … we thrive!

Are you interested in exploring your resilience further and learning more about the Heart-Based Time Management™ Path? Here’s one way that you can transform and deepen your relationship to time in the Heart-Based Way … I invite you to explore Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management™ – my chapter in the book I co-authored - Stepping Stones to Success! In it I share my proven system for exploring and harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.

Find Time to Put a Little Love in Your Heart (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Uncover Your Time Legacy: What Do You Carry into Your Present from Your Past? (thetimefinder.com)
Finding Time to Stop Living Someone Else’s Life (thetimefinder.com)

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Find Time to Listen and Learn What You Need

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Paula, under Self-Care Time, Time and Energy.

Finding time to be productive starts with taking care of yourself. And taking care of yourself starts with knowing what you need.

And going a step deeper, here’s where it all starts:

Knowing what you need begins with finding time to listen to yourself!

And believe it or not, knowing what you need doesn’t come naturally for us adults. There are tangled thickets of old messages, beliefs and learned behaviors that get in the way.

That’s why it’s so important to build an authentic dialogue with yourself, so that you can ask about what you need, listen to the answer than comes, and then address it in whatever way seems appropriate.

Think about a good friend who is going through some challenges. I am guessing that you might want to be helpful in some way; but you wouldn’t assume that you knew what he or she needed. You would probably ask.

And that’s what is so helpful to do with yourself, as well. When you are stuck on a project, say … feeling irritable or antsy or restless … that’s a point where you can offer yourself some help.

So, stop what you are doing and ask yourself some open-ended questions:

What am I feeling right now?
What do I need?

This is a simple, straightforward dialogue. The more you do it, the more easily the answers will come – and they may surprise you!

Now that you have some information, you also need to respond. Do this (always) from an adult and caring place (NOT from a critical place). In some cases, you will be able to immediately give yourself what you need (a brief walk outside, for example). Or you might make an ‘appointment’ with yourself for later. (And be SURE to follow through on this – it builds your trust in yourself.)

I some cases, what you want may not be possible or advisable. Say you are working on a deadline and are tired and what you really want is to get to bed, but if you do you will disappoint lots of people. In this case, you can’t give yourself what you want, but you can respond from a calm, adult place (as you would with a friend). And perhaps there is something else you can give yourself that would help.

Often, the simple fact of feeling heard, seen, and acknowledged is refreshing and nourishing. Indeed, this kind of honest dialogue with yourself can blossom and grow into an ever-deepening self-knowledge that will nourish you in unimagined ways.

Are you interested in learning more about the Heart-Based Time Management™ Path? Here’s one way that you can transform and deepen your relationship to time in the Heart-Based Way … I invite you to explore Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management™ – my chapter in the book I co-authored - Stepping Stones to Success! In it I share my proven system for exploring and harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.

Let’s explore time together …

Find Time to Be Yourself, Respect Yourself, and Do What You Can: 3 Timely Tips-Part 1 (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Put a Little Love in Your Heart (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Let Your Routines Deepen Into Rituals (thetimefinder.com)

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Finding Time to Nourish Yourself

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Paula, under Self-Care Time, Time and Energy.

Finding time to nourish yourself isn’t just about food – although that’s certainly an important part of the equation.

I like to think of nourishment as what keeps me going – whether it’s food, silence, companionship, exercise … or any combination of these things. What nourishes me energizes and sustains me, no matter what challenges come my way.

So, what nourishes you?

People need dreams, there’s as much nourishment in ‘em as food.

Dorothy Gilman

Sometimes you struggle so hard to feed your family one way, you forget to feed them the other way, with spiritual nourishment. Everybody needs that.

James Brown

The first, most fundamental step in finding time to nourish yourself is getting to know yourself and identifying what you find nourishing. It’s not going to be the same for everyone.

And it may not be easy to get to that information. Be patient and open your heart … and it will come. As you contemplate the things that nourish you, you may first run into a collection of ‘should’s.’ They can certainly confuse things and bring up feelings. But don’t let them stop you in your tracks – instead, recognize them for what they are – messages from your Inner Critic!

If you’re like most people, you will react to those ‘should’s’ in one of two ways:

Compliance or
Rebellion.

Either way, if you attempt to nourish yourself based on a ‘should’ that is coming to you from your Inner Critic, you will not be able to sustain it. Your nourishment will be tainted and you will, soon enough, let it go.

The sad thing is that this pattern can lead to discouragement and a feeling that you ‘can’t’ nourish yourself as you’d like to.

But that’s not the case – not by a long shot!

Stay tuned, as we continue to explore this truly fundamental element in your self-care and time management toolbox.

And in the meantime, want to learn more about how you can expand and deepen your time and efforts … in whatever areas you choose? Here’s a great way to explore avenues to increasing your time skills and heart-based power – whether it’s in your business, or your personal life. I am so pleased to be able to offer my expertise and support as The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to “Time Management”.

You can visit by clicking the link, and when you do you’ll find lots of time management articles by experts in the field, along with a vibrant and welcoming on-line community. Stop by my Expert Page and leave a comment or question … or just say hello. There are lots of ways to connect … I’d love to get started!

Find Time to Nourish Your Courage with Love: Today’s Timely Tip (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Create a Morning Ritual: The Heart-Based Way to Start Your Day! (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Create Quiet-Some Timely Thoughts (thetimefinder.com)

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Find Time to Give Yourself Exactly What You Need Every Single Day!

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Paula, under Self-Care Time, Time and Energy.

Finding time to get everything done in any given day can be a very tall order. How often do you feel like you’re running against a stopwatch and depleting yourself in the process?

Don’t you sometimes wish that someone would come along and give you whatever it is that you need in that moment?

Well, the good news is, that “someone” is YOU!

Think about it. You have the power to give yourself exactly what you need every single day. You really do – I’m not just saying that.

Here’s something I’d love for you to try as the new year gets underway:

As you begin each day, spend a few moments with yourself. You could try meditating, going for a brief walk, doing some journaling or stretching – anything that slows you down and puts you in touch with yourself.

At the end of those moments, think about one thing that you want to give yourself as the day progresses. Don’t limit your thinking – all the possibilities are open to you.

Maybe it will be something intangible like self-confidence or focus.
Or maybe some days it will be something quite concrete like a movie at 7:30 PM, or a piece of chocolate after dinner.
Whatever it is, it should be something that you would like to give to yourself based on your connection in that moment.
And whatever it is, be sure that you follow through on it!

At the end of each day, check in with yourself. Did you give yourself what you promised? Or did you give yourself something different?

It helps to keep a small notebook and just jot down, each morning, what you offer yourself. Then at night you can revisit your book and write down what you received. You may begin to see some interesting patterns.

When you give yourself exactly what you need every single day, you are building a warm and trusting relationship with yourself. You will notice that everything feels more positive and more possible as you build a track record of self-nurturing follow-through.

This is such a powerful and sustaining practice … I highly recommend it!

As you transform yourself and your relationship with time, consider this: Are you an entrepreneur, consultant, or small business owner who’s ready to take the next big step? If you want to learn how to create and to keep a successful business running on your own, then this is for you! “How to Create Credibility as a Freelancer” is a booklet with 70 expert-proven tips that will help you recharge your energy and motivation, increase your visibility, and sharpen those vital organizational and time management skills.

Success is within your reach, so don’t wait, click this link and get started today! http://bit.ly/FreelanceTips

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Find Time to Let Reflection Points Refresh You Throughout Your Holiday Journey

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Paula, under Self-Care Time, Time and Energy.

Finding time to keep yourself present, energetic, and refreshed over the span of the holiday season can be a big challenge. There’s so much to do, finding YOU time often gets lost in the shuffle. That’s why I propose that you give yourself the gift of Reflection Points throughout your day, each and every day.

They needn’t be long, and they needn’t be ‘scheduled’. Just be sure that you pause periodically and come back to yourself. That’s because, as you journey through time it’s fundamentally important to take care of yourself along the way! As Greg Anderson has written:

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.

That most certainly applies during this time of year. It’s easy to push to accomplish “just one more thing” or buy “just one more gift” or write “just one more card” … only to find that you end up feeling overwhelmed, irritable, and depleted in the end. I am guessing that is not how you want to be journeying through holiday time … or any time, for that matter.

Reflection points give you breathing space and re-energize you so that you can live your moments as fully as possible. Think of your reflection points as pauses along a mountain path. If you are tired and the climb feels long, a reflection point gives you an opportunity to take a breath. If you round a corner and come upon a breathtaking view, a reflection point gives you a moment to fully appreciate its beauty.

Reflection points are about YOU – what you are experiencing and what you need. They are moments that can powerfully and unerringly bring you back to the moment. And it’s in each moment that you live your life. Remember …

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life. Omar Khayyam

Reflection points bring you back to your life, and isn’t that just where you want to be?

So, are you interested in learning more about the Heart-Based Path as you move ahead this month? Here’s one way that you can transform and deepen your relationship to time in the Heart-Based Way …

I invite you to explore Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management - my chapter in the book I co-authored - Stepping Stones to Success! In it I share my proven system for exploring and harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.

Let’s explore time together …