342: How to Create SPACE to Take Care of Yourself

There are so many people out there saying things like “we all have the same 24 hours in our day” as if lack of time is the issue. 

In my experience, lack of time is NOT the issue.



The real issue is a lack of bandwidth, the mental capacity to make better choices, and all-or-nothing thinking. 


it’s so much easier to make better choices when we feel calm, focused, and peaceful. Yet it’s so easy for stress and feelings of overwhelm to overtake our life.



If you want to create change in your life, the first step is not to try to fit it in, it’s to give yourself SPACE. 

Here are a few things I do:



❤️ I have 2 alarms that go off during the day to remind me to focus on my goals and breath.

❤️ I plan my day. I make my plan match the reality of my day. This is BIG. If you over-plan, you’ll probably feel stressed out. If you don’t plan to take care of yourself, it probably won’t happen.

❤️ I ask myself A LOT of questions during the day to challenge the reasons I might feel overwhelmed or stressed. For example, “what would need to change so that I did what needs to get done without feeling stressed?” or “what would happen if I DON’T do _____ (whatever thing I think needs to be done).

❤️ I slow down with my meals. At least 3 x per day I sit, breathe and slow down.

❤️ I am practicing not rushing. I tend to try to cram everything in and use every last minute to be productive. Instead, I now plan ‘buffer’ time between tasks so that I can be present.

Join me on this week's podcast for a deep dive on how to create more calm in your life so that making the better choices, for your health, relationships, and future self, are so much easier. 

I'm glad you're here.

-Tanja x

Curious about working together? Book a time to chat here: www.tanjashaw.com/apply