I Know Why You Can't Get Your Priorities Straight

Ok, I'm just gonna say it,

Baby, we ALL have time.

Your priorities just aren't straight.

& Yea, you may have heard that before, but do you know why your priorities aren't straight?

I believe it could be a simple skill issue, maybe

1. You lack time management skills,

2. You can't compartmentalize, and/or

3. You have no personal goals that require you to prioritize your health because you don't know how to set a good one.

Knowledge is power, so if you're struggling to start or keep up with a wellness journey let's address these hinderances' head on and sort out why you may be having a hard time and share some practices that could build your skills in these areas:

Addressing time management

To value time, you have to know how you spend it.

Chances are you aren't aware of how you spend your time and that's why it constantly escapes you.

So, let's get technical,

There are 168 hours in a week.

-40hr work week = 128 hours remaining

-10hr for commute time = 118hrs remaining

-40hr for self-maintenance, house chores, & tending to your family on a given day = 78hrs remaining

-56hr for sleep (assuming you get 8hrs every night) = 22hrs remaining

That leaves a balance of a little over three hours a day.

Somewhere in there you can squeeze a little time in for your wellness journey.

& If this breakdown doesn't perfectly match your schedule, do the math for yourself.

You'll find that you have more time than you thought.

Then the hard part: think about where that free time goes. How mindful of your time are you when you have "nothing to do'. Are you lying in bed watching TV or Youtube videos? Are you doom scrolling on TikTok? Are you a perpetual lollygagger? Are you napping because you don't sleep enough?

Just some things to think about.

Addressing compartmentalization,

By definition, this is the ability to mentally separate different aspects of your life, like emotions, responsibilities, or experiences, into distinct "compartments" in your mind so that they don't interfere with one another.

If you struggle with a work-life balance or find yourself juggling overwhelming emotions constantly, this may be your struggle.

Healthy compartmentalization looks like balance. It feels like peace of mind. It's maintained through meditation, mindfulness, and breathing techniques. Mindfulness and compartmentalization go hand in hand because practicing mindfulness allows you the ability to notice your thoughts and feelings without immediately reacting to them.

The next time you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed by emotion or reaching for your phone to answer an email after hours, practice meditating with a breathing technique for five minutes.

Addressing a lack of personal goals

A life without goals is a life without direction.

And I don't mean just career goals or relationship goals. I mean goals directly tied to your personal development and health.

You can want better for yourself all you like, but if you don't set specific goals that push you, wellness will never be a priority for you, and your health will remain in the background of our life.

So, take out a journal and think back on the physical activities you loved as kid. Maybe you loved dancing, running, roller blading, climbing trees, whatever it is, write it down and follow that up by writing how doing those things made you feel. How would it feel to get back into doing the things you loved that kept you active?

Now set a goal to start doing that activity again.

Make it a SMART goal:

S - Specific, now's not the time to be vague.

M - Measurable, make it something where your progress in it can be tracked.

A - Attainable, make it realistic (i.e. if you haven't run a mile in 10 years, maybe start by walk/running a mile in under 20 minutes)

R - Relevant, ensure that the goal is aligned with what you like to do.

T - Timely, set a deadline and stick to it.

If you see yourself or anyone else in this post, I encourage you to like, comment, and share this with them. Keep in mind that this is a safe space, there's no shame in admitting our shortcomings, especially when we want to be better.

Thanks for reading! Like and share if you can! Or you can just tell me your thoughts below.

Be sure to check the rejooov collective out almost everywhere on socials:

IG - therejooovco & rejooovmove | TikTok - rejooovcothoughts | X - therejooovco | FB - the rejooov collective, LLC

Love & Light,

- Cina