6 Ways to be Mindful of Time Boundaries

When I neglect to take a beat and reflect, I can easily get sucked into a schedule that feels out of my control and doesn’t align with my priorities. I invite you to consider what is and is not working for you when it comes to your time management, priorities, and schedule. I am lucky to be able to make my own work hours, and yet still my schedule can easily slip into chaos, leaving me feeling disempowered and frantic!

This year, I intend to be more mindful and vigilant about protecting my time. With the goal of finding a flexible (when needed) and more carefully structured schedule for myself, I did some reflecting. If you’re interested in being more intentional with your time, consider the following:

1. What are your priorities? What do you value most?

Think about what is most important to you in your life. Is it congruent with where you’re devoting your time and energy? Maybe you notice you’re spending time on a low priority item or not spending enough time on high priority items (See bullet point #6!).

2. When do you have the most energy, clarity, and when do you prefer to rest? How can you structure your schedule to meet your unique needs?

Are you trying to pack your mornings, but don’t find it easy to wake up and get going? It may be worth considering what can be moved to evening or vice versa. We all have our own unique wants and needs around time, and of course outside commitments to consider such as work or family. What works for one person, may not work for someone else. Do away with the “shoulds” and try to honor what works for you!

3. When you reflect on last year, do you regret anything taking up too much time or energy? How can you set limits?

Last year,I spent a lot of time furnishing my home. Countless hours were spent looking for just one lounge chair. Those are hours I’ll never get back! Yes, it was important to me to furnish my home, but there was room for me to set limits with how much time I was spending on it.

4. Are there opportunities to advocate for yourself and your needs around time management?

Whether it’s communicating with your boss, partner, colleagues, or friends perhaps you can share where you’d like some support in setting your time boundaries. Advocating for yourself also means setting limits when you see yourself being spread too thin or when you notice resentment start to bubble up.

5. How will you periodically reflect on how you are spending your time?

I invite you to commit to monthly check ins with your schedule and start journaling about what you notice when you reflect on your time management for the past month. Some guided journals even promote reflection on time management.

6. How will you set boundaries around resting and recharging?

To prevent burnout and overextending ourselves, we need to protect our rest time. We can’t function without rest—our physical and emotional regulation depends on it! I encourage you to build in intentional rest when you look at your calendar for the next month. To learn more about the different types of rest, read Rachel’s recent blog post.

This exercise in staying empowered over your schedule isn’t so much about enhancing your productivity, it’s about intentionality, boundary setting, and living a life congruent with your priorities. If you need support in working through any challenges holding you back from setting the boundaries you need, contact our counselors.