In this episode, I share day three of the Summer Stitching Challenge. You can listen to the episode below or keep scrolling to read the blog post.
Listen to the episode
Day 4 – Reclaim your time
There are many ways to reclaim time in your day. I’ve tried a mixture of all the methods below but the most important thing is not to listen to what I’m doing right now but find something that works for your life. Try them out – most can even work together. And every season evaluate if you need a new method to reclaim your time or your current one is working. No 2 seasons are the same – no 2 days are the same and so it’s goodo to check in now and then – like we’re doing right now.
You have probably heard me talk about these methods alot but if you’re still not happy with how much time you get for yourself then it’s worth it for me to repeat the same things until they really sink in for you.
10 minutes a day
You don’t need big chunks a day to get your stitching done. You can take 10 minutes during a small gap in your day and if you have a few small gaps, you can end up with 30 minutes of stitching a day, if not more. Those small 10 minutes all add up. You might have 10 minutes in the morning, another 10 minutes in the afternoon and then another 10 minutes during the evening.
Telling yourself to find 10 minutes seems much more possible than trying to find an empty half an hour.
You do deserve a longer, uninterrupted block of time for yourself but I know this is not always possible for everyone, especially trying to find it every single day. So just aim for 10 minutes and see what happens.
And because you have organised your projects and your spaces, you aren’t wasting any of those small moments of time. You can go to your space and pull your project out to stitch right away.
Routines
I resist routines a lot but I know a routine can help structure your life in a way to have more time. I do prefer using rhythms over routines though. They are similar but not entirely the same.
A routine to me is doing the same thing at the same time every day/week/month etc. And rhythms are doing the same thing every day but not necessarily at the same time.
For example, after you eat dinner you clean the table and wash up. That’s your rhythm. But it doesn’t mean you clean the table and wash up at 6 pm every night, you just do it after dinner whatever time dinner is at.
A routine is leaving the house every day at 7:45 am.
They both work equally but just depend on what sort of lifestyle you lead.
I find routines work better if you have the same daily schedule, such as working from 9-5, coming home, making dinner then having the evening. A cross-stitch routine should be easy to slot into your life if you find the spare time to do it. Routines can also make sure you are taking the time for yourself every day.
I love a transition routine. this is the time between one part of your day moving into another. For example, from work to home. This is the perfect time to sit and relax to get yourself ready for the next part of your day.
This can also be a rhythm.
If you get home at the same day every day, let’s say 5 pm then your routine can be 30 minutes of stitching from 5.15-5.45 pm.
If you get home at different times every day your rhythm can be when you get home you take 20-30 minutes for your hobby.
Or you can just have a simple routine of stitching every weekday evening from 7-8 pm.
Look back at the lists you made yesterday and your spaces might actually give you clues as to what natural routines and rhythms you’re already in. Stitching every morning in the kitchen, for example.
Putting a little more structure around this can help protect that time forself. If you claim this is what I stitch, you’re more likely to not allow anything to stop you from doing it.
I find routines a little harder in the Summer, although they’re maybe needed more. But this leads me to…
Going with the flow
This is mostly how my Summers go. Or have done in the past. I embrace this in the Summer. We have a lot of structure with school and clubs that it feels good to let go a little in the Summer. But it can be harder for me to get that time for myself.
When I go with the flow, I still have a loose idea of when I’m stitching. For example, during Summer, I keep the weekends pretty free and my kids are of an age where they play outside a lot. This means I can get a lot of stitching done on a weekend. In fact, I’m writing this email on a Sunday, Summer afternoon while both my kids are playing.
I never thought this day would come so if you have young kids, just know it’s coming.
Of course, the downside to going with the flow is that there might be days when you don’t find any time. This happens sometimes in Summer – the day gets away from you between errands, making food, working, entertaining kids, trying to stay cool.
But the positive is that when you go with the flow, you get so used to finding those spare gaps in your day that you automatically fill them with stitching or reading, etc. The more you do it the more it becomes second nature.
There are pros and cons to both again but hopefully, this episode helps you decide whether a routine or going with the flow will work best for you during the season you are in right now.
FREE SUMMER STITCHING CHALLENGE SIGN UP
Extra episodes and posts
- How to organise your WIP projects
- How to make a cross stitch routine
- Where to store your cross stitch supplies
- How to make a Summer reading list
- Setting the mood this Summer
- Why colour is important in cross stitch
Pin for Later
