Ask Dr. Shiroko: I don’t have time to be healthy!

Have you ever felt like you just don’t have enough time? Do you
stress about getting where you need to go in the day and keep
feeling like you are never going to get done? Its not uncommon for
us to feel that way, especially in these times where things seem to
be moving faster and faster.
 When we feel rushed for time, we often think we can’t do the
things that will help us take care of ourselves. Of course time
stress is one of the things that throws us off and increases our
overall sensation of stress. Making it harder for us to feel well.
It becomes a vicious circle. So many people I see tell me that they
don’t have time to eat well or exercise regularly because they’re
just too busy.
 In the world of financial advisors, you are often advised to “pay
yourself first”. It means to give money to yourself before you give
it to others. The standard advice is to take 10% of your income off
the top in order to create a savings account. In my experience,
time management works much like money management; you have to give
yourself time first.
 In that light, today I’m suggesting some time management tips so
that you will be able to take care of your health, which will in
turn help you feel less stressed. As with money management, you
need to set aside time in each day to take care of yourself. As you
review your plans for any given day, or better yet, the week. Look
at your schedule and find time for exercise and healthy eating. Put
those times down in your calendar, in ink. Don’t let anything else
interrupt that part of your schedule.
 If you have to get up a half hour earlier to do half an hour of
exercise, do that and get the exercise out of the way for the day.
I usually have to get up earlier to get my writing in or I won’t do
it.
 Other suggestions for time management include:
Evaluate how you’re spending your time – keep a diary for three
days of everything you do, including time for shower, brushing your
teeth, getting ready for bed, cooking your meals, and sitting in
front of the TV. At the end of those three days, see how you’re
spending you time and evaluate to see if you’re getting what you
want out of your days. Perhaps a half hour less TV might give you
the time you need to do everything.
Keep a daily schedule – this should include your workout and eating
times, and other things that have to be done.
Prioritize your tasks – make sure you have time for the most
important things you need to do by setting them in order of
priority.
Delegate what you can – if you have things you can delegate to
someone else, do that.
Take the time you need to do a good job – when you have an
important job, make sure that you give it enough time to make sure
you do it well.
Break large tasks into smaller chunks of time – if you have a big
job, schedule it into your days in smaller amounts of time.
Take a break when you need it – if you know that you need breaks,
schedule them into your day. Schedule some breaks where you step
away from your tasks and take deep breaths, look outside, or even
stretch so that you can continue your work in a better way.
 When you allow yourself the time to relax, your day will flow more
smoothly and you will actually feel like you’re getting more done.
My mom used to joke about expanding time when we were driving
somewhere and we were late. She’d say “lets expand time now so that
we’ll get there.” Oddly enough, it always worked; we’d end up being
on time for our appointments without her having to drive
faster!
Dr. Shiroko Sokitch’s column appears monthly. She can be
reached at: dr*****@li***.net.