How to Repurpose Time in Your Afternoon
As promised today we’ll go to the next-level of learning how to repurpose time in your afternoon. In case you missed it, last week I shared my top 3 ways to repurpose time in your morning. Next stop, the afternoon!
As a quick refresher, we’ve been covering the concept of repurposing time. Repurposing time is very different from multi-tasking (ie when we’re running around trying to do 5 things at once); instead repurposing time focuses on using the time and commitments we have, and infusing them with more joy and fulfillment.
To show you that the recommendations I make are not only based in research, but most importantly in real life, I'm taking you behind the scenes of my life and sharing how I repurpose time in real life. My goal is to give you an honest picture of healthy living to show that if I can do this - you definitely can too! Today’s focus will be the top 3 ways to repurposing time in your afternoon. Who doesn’t want to find ways to avoid the witching hour? Read on to discover my top 3 ways to infuse more joy into your afternoon routine with these simple ways to repurpose your time.
Dinner Prep
There's no reason you have to do the prep & cooking alone. But it can be easy to get stuck in the routine of feeling you’re responsible for a given task, ie making dinner, and you’re the one to get it done. If you have able little humans at your disposal use them! Make it fun, and age appropriate but let them help and own tasks! By involving your kids not only do you start building healthy eating habits, but you also create an afternoon activity. Win win!
Park Time - Movement for Everyone
The park is a great afternoon activity with your little ones. It’s a great way to get fresh air, burn off energy and play with friends. This is also a great time to sneak in some movement for yourself, especially if your day got crazy and you never got in the well-intentioned workout you were planning on. Play tag with your little ones, they’ll love it and you can get your heart pumping too. Or climb with the play structure with your kids. They’ll be thrilled to see you on their favorite park equipment, and are sure to share their wisdom of how best to climb to the top. Or if you’re really wanting an upper-body workout, take yourself across the monkey bars a few times. Let me tell you, those are not nearly as easy as a full grown human as I recall them being at age 10! Embrace the time you have, be playful and move your body like a kid. There’s no reason a workout has to take place within studio walls, it’s far more important to move as much as possible, wherever the day may take you.
Grocery Shop
There are a lot of days where my good intentions of grocery shopping before my work day ends, and kids come home, simply doesn't happen. When that’s the case, I try to make it a fun afternoon activity we can do together. My girls love to grab a kids cart and gather items I make them responsible for picking up. The moral of the story is, you don't have to be a hero and have all your afternoon/evening time devoted to what your kids want to do. They can help grocery shop, and you can all have time together, while still getting your necessary errands completed. I also use grocery shopping as a distraction around the witching hour when I know if we’re home they’re start picking fights. Typically if we’re out and they have distractions moods are better, we’re productive and are still getting my to-do list taken care of.
There you have it, my behind the scenes tips for repurposing time in the afternoon. I hope this has left you inspired and thinking of ways to repurpose time in your own daily routine. Next week we’ll dig into the final part of the day, the evening, and it’s a post you won’t want to miss!