I'm willing to bet you've tried setting up a regular schedule, but it’s hard to squeeze in time for self-care, hobbies, or even a brief moment of relaxation with everything else you have to do as a caregiver. When you finally wedge out an hour here or there, it can feel more defeating than rewarding because, let’s face it, an hour isn’t always enough to achieve the balance and well-being you’re aiming for.
Don’t worry—you’re not alone.
One of the biggest challenges family caregivers face is finding the balance between their everyday life activities—whether it’s managing their job, running errands, or making time for their own hobbies and interests—and the demanding responsibilities of caregiving.
It’s hard to stay motivated to achieve your own well-being goals when you’re literally squeezing in a half-hour here and there, but never really feeling “all-in.” From experience, making meaningful changes in your life, like developing new habits that benefit both you and your loved one, takes dedication, focus, and yes, TIME.
So how—and when—can you find enough time to start building those new habits?
Let’s explore the pros and cons of different times of the day to see what might work best for you.
Best Time for Building New Habits: Do Mornings Have an Edge?
Sometimes you have to be the early bird.
If early mornings are when you feel most productive, blocking out time to focus on your new habit first thing in the morning can be a game-changer. Scheduling this time before everything (and everyone) else demands your attention has three big benefits:
- You’ll start your day with a win: Completing your new habit in the morning can give you a sense of accomplishment that sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. You’ll feel motivated and empowered to tackle anything that comes your way.
- You’ll avoid day-long stress: Knowing you’ve already done something positive for yourself means you won’t spend the day stressing about when (or if) you’ll get to it.
- It helps structure your day: Doing something important early on helps establish a routine, making it easier to stay consistent.
If you’re not naturally an early riser, adopting a morning schedule can be challenging. But with persistence, you can gradually adjust your body’s internal clock to be more alert in the morning. Plus, studies show that getting up earlier can improve your deep sleep, which in turn can make you feel more energized throughout the day.
Another reason to work on building your new habit in the morning? You’ll likely have more mental clarity and energy, which can make your efforts more effective.
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Best Time for Building New Habits: Afternoons Can Work Too
If mornings are a hard pass for you, tackling your new habit in the early afternoon can also be effective. You just have to be very diligent with your schedule. We all know how easy it is to procrastinate, right?
For example, if you schedule time to work on your new habit between 1-4 pm every day, make sure you get your other “busy” tasks out of the way in the morning. Don’t let those other tasks distract you or drag on! It’s too easy to get pulled into the “just one more thing before I switch” rut.
It may help to use lunchtime to shift your focus and mentally prepare for the switch. That can actually help your body clock adjust to the new routine. On the plus side, it’ll likely be easier to stay consistent with your new habit in the afternoon since most people are more physically energetic and alert at that time.
Best Time for Building New Habits: Nighttime Has Its Perks
If this is your “go” time, more power to you! Personally, I can’t focus on anything past 7 pm, but for many people, nighttime is when they have more energy and fewer distractions.
Scheduling time to work on your new habit after everything else quiets down means you’ll have an easier time focusing, especially if you have a family to care for and it’s only possible to dig in after your loved ones are asleep.
If you “wake up” at night bursting with energy and focus, go for it! Who needs to binge-watch Netflix when you can be productive and get something meaningful done?
And if you’re not naturally a night owl but nighttime is the only time you have to build your new habit, here are some tips to stay productive:
- Take a break before you start: Giving yourself a moment to unwind before diving into your habit-building activities can make a big difference in your focus and energy.
- Set a hard start and deadline: Having a clear start time and endpoint helps you stay on track and avoid distractions.
- Have a well-timed meal: Eating a light meal or snack before you begin can give you the energy boost you need to stay productive.
There’s No One-Size-Fits-All
Ultimately, the best time to build new habits is whenever you’re most productive, and by that, I mean when you’re awake, clear-headed, and have a few uninterrupted hours ahead of you.
An hour here or there is a great start. But when it comes to really making progress and achieving a balanced lifestyle, you need more than just scattered minutes. When you’re juggling caregiving with other life tasks and responsibilities, you have to be incredibly strict with your schedule. Set time-related deadlines and stick to them. If you plan to start at 6 am, start at 6 am, not 6:30. That way, there’s less room for procrastination.
Remember, the hardest part is starting. Even if your brain feels foggy, it’ll wake up once you begin.
