American culture places an emphasis on moving as quickly as possible without looking back, from tips to find time for therapy to productivity above everything from relationships to taking breaks to mental health. Obviously, these culturally ingrained traits aren’t easily avoidable or easily cut from your life, and women have always shouldered a hefty amount of work. Stay-at-home moms are often undervalued for their work and they don’t seem to possess any off days or even fixed hours.
Working mothers too don’t have it easy- they have to shoulder their professional commitments as well as manage home and children (if any). Recall how every successful woman is always asked about work-life balance? But statistics have also shown that women feel burn out more and since they don’t stop to take a breather, they are prone to heart attacks and strokes. However, it’s still vital to your health that you take time to focus on yourself and your mental health, which can also significantly impact your physical well being.
Did you know that taking time to focus on your well-being can actually improve your productivity? So, it’s best to take that time. Talking to someone about issues you might be having and attending therapy can free up space in your mind for other things as well as decrease your stress. Therapy seems like a timesuck, though, doesn’t it? Not when you take a few simple tips into consideration, which make it a cinch for a busy woman to find time for therapy.
Tips to Find Time For Therapy
Below are some tips to find time for therapy:
1. Adjust your mindset
If even virtual therapy seems like too much time, then it’s time to begin reevaluating your thought process. Your health should always come before the next project or the overtime that your boss asked you to work.
Whether or not you turn in the work that you are contracted to complete, you are trying your best and should take the time you need in order to take care of yourself. There will always be an excuse if you are looking for one. Avoidance is a sign of denial. If you absolutely cannot make time in your schedule, then see if your career offers you sick leave. Mental health is still health, so your boss may allow you to use that time to see a therapist.
It is okay to ask for and to take time off. One day will not upset your entire schedule, and a project will not fall horrifically behind because you needed to take a day and speak with your therapist about something and then spend some time practicing self-care. Self-care might look to some people like doing a face mask, taking a dance break, or relaxing with a binge-worthy show, but the reality is that self-care is also listening to your body’s needs and tending to your mental health.
2. Try Virtual Therapy
When you are short pressed for time or are looking for excuses to avoid seeking help then one of the primary cause for concern is the time spent going to and from your therapist’s office. If you do not already have a therapist or are still trying to find the one for you, then why not give therapists who offer virtual or phone appointments a try?
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and global lockdown because of it, the need for therapy has burgeoned manifold. Loss of job, uncertainty, and often loss of a loved one to this unstoppable disease has led many people to feel overwhelmed, depressed and stressed out. As such, many practices offer virtual therapy for the same rate as in-person therapy.
If enough people show interest in the virtual therapy continuing, then the practices may continue their virtual appointments. If you already have a therapist who you enjoy speaking with and who you’re comfortable around, then it can’t hurt to ask them if they’re able to do virtual appointments or appointments over the phone. The worst that they can say is no. There are some amazing virtual therapists out there, with BetterHelp recommending services and resources that could help get your mental health on track on your schedule.
3. Set schedules
Sometimes, the problem can be as simple as not knowing where your time is going or will go. If you’re the kind of person to simply work when you have time in between other things, then your schedule might not be as efficient as it’s meant to be. Planning things out and giving activities a predetermined proper place in your routine could be the difference between having enough time set aside for one break or having enough time set aside for two or three, as well as having time for a therapy session.
Organizing your day and prioritizing your tasks might make you realize you have more time than you think, and fitting a therapist in will actually help you optimize the parts of life that are vital.
Seeing blocks of time written out might help you feel less stressed as well since you’ll know exactly when you’re supposed to stop one task and start on another!
Also Read; Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For You?