One thing that comes up a lot when we’re talking about self care and finding ways to take care of ourselves is luxury. At a point in time where the self-care conversation is almost “trendy”, it’s not uncommon to hear self-care equated with spa dates, manicures, treating yourself to that expensive bottle of wine or a weekend getaway. And if we’re being honest, we love all those things just as much as the next woman. But in order to incorporate more luxury into your life, however that looks for you, you need to find the time. So, in the words of our favorite Ms. Maxine Waters, sometimes the real luxury is “reclaiming your time”.
So how exactly can you reclaim your time and start to find those extra hours in your days & weeks to start taking care of you? By giving yourself the gift of services. We live in an age where, like an app, there is a service for each and every thing you need to do. Give yourself some extra time and incorporate more luxury in your life with these simple tips.
Hire out for groceries, laundry, and housekeeping
And any other service that requires you to trade your time to get a task you don’t actually need to do, done. There’s this interesting misconception in our communities that make us feel, bougie–for lack of better words–when it comes to hiring out for services like this. And it’s one we need to let go. Hiring out for services is a great way to free up hours in your day to do those things you always feel you don’t have time for. Instead of going grocery shopping, take that trip to the spa we were talking about earlier and have your groceries waiting for you when you get home. Those hours you spend every week on house cleaning can be delegated to a housekeeper, giving you time to grab drinks with a few friends. Not to mention by hiring people to handle these tasks for you, you’re helping to support someone else’s business as well. Try to hire a fellow small business owner or local company for the daily tasks you’re ready to get off your plate.
Take an Uber/Lyft or Other Car Service
How many times have you found yourself driving into the city wondering why you didn’t just catch an Uber? Or heading back and forth to meetings wasting precious hours driving instead of relaxing or catching up on a book. Listen to us, taking a car service can be your best friend. Even if you’re not in the back seat on your Kindle or scrolling social media, just having a few minutes to pop in your earbuds and relax can make a world of difference for your mental space and emotional well-being. And while you have the Uber app open, we won’t judge for using their delivery service either! No more trading your time for tasks you can outsource remember?
Hire a mother’s helper or babysitter
Even if you’re home. Work at home and stay at home moms, this one is for you. Just because you’re home all day, whether you’re there working on your business or taking care of the kids, that doesn’t mean you don’t need a break. There is absolutely nothing wrong with hiring a helper or babysitter a couple hours a week to free up some time for you. Listen, we all know those videos of the mama’s working out with babies on their backs are cute and everything but, it’s also cool to take an hour or two to take a yoga class or hit the gym by yourself. Remember, we’re focusing on reclaiming YOUR time. Anything that can get you a few hours to yourself to take of YOU is on the table.
Upgrade your routine services
While we’re on the topic of services, we couldn’t leave out one of best ways to incorporate more luxury into your life. Upgrade the services you already use. If you’re used to visiting a traditional salon for your bi-weekly hair appointment, try visiting a new one that has a more upscale vibe. Instead of getting your normal mani/pedi, choose the option the comes with a foot massage. When the time comes for your monthly massage, visit that salon that’s a bit pricier but is more luxurious. The point is, if you’re having trouble wrapping your mind around hiring out for new services start with the ones you already use. Indulge yourself a little and reclaim your time!
Now that you have a few ideas of how to carve out some time and incorporate more luxury in your life, we just have one last tip. Don’t use this time to do work related things or catch up on anything that isn’t related to taking care of you!
