Self-Care September: A food allergy parent’s guide for time management and goal setting
As kids head back to school and routines fall into place, it's important to ask yourself: What are you doing for you? You’ve likely heard the saying, "You can’t pour from an empty cup," and this is especially true for parents of children with food allergies.
In this post, I’ll offer insights to help you kickstart or reconnect with your self-care journey. Whether you’re just starting or need a reminder to prioritize yourself, this article about time management and goal setting is for you!
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Time Management
As a nursing professor, I begin each semester by discussing time management through a metaphor that illustrates life's priorities: rocks, pebbles, and sand. The "big rocks" represent the most important things in life—family, health, and close relationships. These are non-negotiable. The "pebbles" are significant but not as critical, such as work and school. Finally, there's the "sand"—the little tasks that fill up your day, like scrolling through social media or browsing online.
If we focus too much on the sand and pebbles—the trivial, time-consuming stuff—we lose sight of the big rocks, the things that truly matter. But if we prioritize the big rocks first, we’ll still have room for the pebbles and, eventually, even the sand.
I like to revisit this metaphor time to time and make sure I have my priorities correct. Do you focus on your big rocks first, and make time for the pebbles, and sand later? How can you make time for all these things?
I like using a weekly planner with tear off sheets to organize each week and prioritize my big rocks. Click here for this planner.
Goal Setting
When setting new goals, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or take on too much at once. That’s where SMART goals come in. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework helps you create clear, manageable goals that set you up for success.
So, pick a goal that feels meaningful to you, and walk through the SMART process to ensure it's achievable. Maybe a goal could be to prioritize one of your big rocks?
Here is an example of a SMART goal you can use as a template for yourself.
Goal: "Improve meal planning for my child with food allergies."
Specific: I will create a weekly meal plan with allergen-free recipes for my child.
Measurable: I will plan 5 dinners each week that are safe, nutritious, and varied.
Achievable: I will spend 1 hour each Sunday to plan meals and shop for necessary ingredients.
Relevant: This will help reduce daily stress around meals and ensure my child eats safely and healthily.
This framework is so imperative so that you can actually achieve your goal. If we make a goal too hard and not achievable, it likely won’t happen. For example, when someone wants to lose weight and sets a goal of losing 100lbs, it’s much harder to reach the goal and celebrate the success. But, breaking it down in bite size pieces using the framework makes it manageable and achievable.
I’m a fan of journaling and here is a simple book to get you starting with your goals.
Helping others achieve their goals is one of my passions. If you’re looking to create lasting change, refine your focus, or need guidance on building a better version of yourself, I’d love to work with you. Reach out here and let’s get started on your journey.
