Busy people think they don’t have time to eat. They also think that they have no time to sleep. If they can’t even eat or sleep, they definitely don’t have time for nurturing their relationships. It’s across the board, too. It’s not just between married couples but even between a parent and a child and even among friends.
When time is too short, it’s often the relationship that suffer. But it should never be like that. Because behind all the glitz and success, it’s the people who stay beside you that matter the most. Certainly, you don’t want to be called an absentee parent or a workaholic girlfriend, don’t you?
Enriching relationships doesn’t start and end with forming one. It’s a continuous process that needs to grow. It’s the one investment that definitely won’t go to waste. So while you still have relationships to keep, it’s important to find time for them. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is with the following daily habits:
7 Habits To Make More Time for Relationships
1. Wake up early.
When you wake up early, you give yourself more time to work and to interact with others. Instead of sleeping in until noon during weekends, jump-start your day with a good morning greeting to your housemates, who can be your family or your friends. Be awake while the rest of the world is. No matter how late you stay up, you won’t be able to strengthen your relationships with people who are currently asleep.
2. Don’t let a day pass without a little quality time.
Every time you remember calling your mother, instead of saying you’ll do it later, do it now. If you have time now, no matter how little, then it’s enough for you to make a little effort. Every time a friend asks when you’re available, set the dinner for the nearest possible time you’re free. Don’t keep pushing communication because you either forget it or end up not having time for it.
3. Be productive at work.
One of the reasons people don’t get to spend enough time with family is because they bring home their work. Though it’s inevitable sometimes, if you try to finish as much work as possible in the office, then you’ll have more leisure time at home. Instead of spending hours on Facebook and other social networking sites, try to be more productive so you can go home to your family earlier.
4. Don’t skip a meal.
Since you’re going to eat anyway, use it as a way to catch up with family. And during lunch time, avoid talking about work with your co-workers. Instead, try to learn about them outside the walls of your office. Be on time for dinner and be updated with what’s happening in the lives of people closest to you. No matter how busy you are, you still have time to eat, right?
5. Let them help you with work.
Instead of closing yourself to the world when you’re stumped with work, allow yourself to let them in. Many of the people around you will gladly help you with work if you allow them, too. Even doing menial tasks such as transcribing, editing your essays, making coffee and the likes is enough for them. It’s also a great way to let them know that you care, but you’re really quite busy.
6. Be there for bedtime.
Working overtime may seem productive for you but it can hamper your relationships. If you’re a parent, coming home when your kids are already asleep will make you miss out while they’re growing up. If you have a partner, arriving home late can cause a rift between you two. Being there before bedtime does a lot more to your relationships than you can actually believe. Being present when they’re awake means a lot for most people.
7. Prioritize.
Most of all, learn to prioritize your relationships. No matter how busy you get, you’ll always have time for relationships. It shouldn’t be an excuse to get off work. It’s okay to go after your dreams and work to be stable. But make your relationships the motivation and foundation of the great things you want to achieve.
Definitely, it’s not easy to be a go-getter and still have ample time for bonding and quality time. But making time to grow and strengthen relationships must be first in anyone’s list.
