Finding time for yourself while working from home and being a full-time dad is challenging! Before you know it you've sped through your task list, and it's time to go to bed. Yet actively pursuing 'Me Time' is vital for your mental and physical well-being.

Self-care is about ensuring you maintain a healthy relationship with yourself so you feel happy, positive and calm. When you're actively feeling these emotions, you're less prone to stress or anxiety. A few tiny changes to your day can go a long way in releasing precious minutes for you.

Find Time for Self-care

Create a time log that contains your daily schedule. Set yourself recurring reminders for each week to scrutinize your diary and set aside time that's just for you. Share this calendar with your family or simply express to them when you won't be available so that everyone knows to respect your time-out.

Share the Workload

Start by writing a list of time-consuming tasks and divide them amongst everyone in the house. Even your kids can pitch in by doing simple things like dusting and watering the plants. Other time-saving tactics include switching to online grocery shopping and prepping in advance for meals. These small tweaks really can go a long way!

Establish a Routine

Setting a strict dinner and bedtime is excellent for establishing a solid routine for your family. It can be tempting to cram these hours with those pesky tasks you ran out of time for, but try and make it a habit to keep at least one or two hours free for yourself at the end of the day. You'll quickly start to look forward to them and breathe a sigh of relief when they arrive!

Follow Quick Self-care Tips

As a busy father, your mind can quickly become cluttered with a lengthy list of chores. Set aside 5 to 10 minutes each morning to pause, breathe and reflect. You can take help of many available apps in this regard. Take time out to journal, do yoga, water the plants or simply catch up on reading the newspaper. Put at least one quick self-care idea into your diary each week and schedule a longer one every month.

Get Enough Sleep

Aside from hobbies and pastimes, nutrition, sleep and exercise are vital for a healthy body and mind. Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables and reducing caffeine and alcohol are shown to improve mood. And while sleep might feel like a luxury, a lack of it makes you feel awful. It is said that the hours you sleep before midnight are the most valuable, so be strict on bedtimes - including your own.1

Exercise Regularly

Apart from getting enough sleep, you need to get your heart pumping. Since most of us are staying inside to stay safe, we're not getting enough exercise. Don't let that be you! Self-care includes exercising, even 10 minutes of skipping rope can also make a difference.

Finally, remember that not everything needs to be done now, and not everything needs to be done by you. By splitting tasks among the family, establishing a strict routine and scheduling regular slots for self-care, you'll feel happier and have lots more energy. A win-win for you and your family!

Your family’s wellbeing is your number-one priority, so look after yourself so you can be there for them. And being there for them means thinking about life insurance – here’s what you need to know.