This is the third part of the How to get some Me-Time in the summer holidays series of blogs.
Today we're focusing on your mindset.
Your thoughts affect your ability to get some Me-Time and you can program your mind to set yourself up for success. By transforming your thoughts and beliefs getting some Me-Time can happen so much more easily.
So what is your mindset and why is it important?
Your mindset is your conscious and subconscious thoughts and beliefs. The memories and life experiences you have from a very young child through to being an adult today create your thoughts and beliefs about the world and who you are today.
It's important because your mindset affects the decisions you make and the actions you take everyday.
Your mindset can hold you back from taking your Me-Time
Many people believe they haven't taken their Me-Time simply because they haven't taken any action yet. They just haven't done the thing yet.
But often the biggest thing from holding people back is their mind. Their subconscious thoughts about the thing they want to do. The beliefs they have around their ability to do the thing easily, successfully or at all and/or whether they feel they should be taking that time for themselves or not.
Whatever you believe creates your reality. It shapes your life. It determines how you think and feel and the actions you take.
We all have limiting beliefs that can hold us back from achieving things and living our most brilliant lives.
Some we're aware of. For example, when we feel afraid to do something or it feels hard and we put it off.
Others we have no idea exist. We've picked thoughts up in our early years from things our parents, teachers, other adults said and did and then events that take place over the years reinforce them and so they become a part of who we are. For example, your parents may have focused on working hard to pay the bills and have said they don't have time for hobbies. Once they'd finished work and done the chores maybe they were too tired and not passionate about anything in particular enough to pursue it.
We can overcome our limiting beliefs
If we become aware of the thoughts that are limiting us and work out where they've come from then we can overcome them so that they don't make decisions for us any longer.
You can replace them with new thoughts and beliefs that help you to get that Me-Time rather than talking you out of it.
By working on your mindset you can overcome:
Self doubt - You can get self confident instead. "I probably won't be able to complete that run" becomes "I'm going to give that run my best shot. I'm sure I can do it."
Mum guilt - You can become more logical in our thoughts and at ease with our decisions. "I feel so bad leaving the kids and their Dad alone so I can go out" becomes "They're going to get on just fine without me and I'll have family time with them later in the week"
Overwhelm - You can get more resilient and able to take a step back and put routines and habits in place. "I just can't do it all" becomes "I just need to take a step back and work out what to do first. I'll go for a relaxing walk, work out what's most important and tackle it when I'm back and feeling calmer."
I hope this blog has helped you to think about how your mindset may be affecting your decisions and how you can transform your thoughts and beliefs to make it easier for you to take some Me-Time even when you are really busy.
Now is a great time to start noticing your thoughts and feelings.
Note them down in your phone or in your diary as you go through the day so you can become more aware of them. Or take some time in the evening to reflect on them if that's easier.
Once you're more self aware you can start to work on reframing those thoughts to more positive ones that empower you to take that time for you.
If you need more help to do this do reach out.
Coaching helps you uncover and reframe thoughts and beliefs.
Coaches ask you powerful questions to help you think differently. It can be really tricky to do it yourself as your thoughts and beliefs are so ingrained in who you are. Having a coach who is independent and non judgmental can give you the time and space to see things more clearly so you can find a way forward.
You can book a free of charge breakthrough call here or drop me an email at hello@rebeccahogancoaching.com
Wishing you all the best,
Rebecca