Thanks to Crystal Light for sponsoring this post. To learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight.

Do you feel like you get enough “me” time? I seem to always hear people talking about how they just don’t get enough time to themselves or don’t have enough hours in the day. Honestly, I’m a bit selfish– I always make sure that I get time to myself every single day. Why? Because it’s important. If I don’t have time to write in my journal, paint my nails, or flip through a magazine over coffee, I just go a little bit insane. When I make time for myself, my day just magically goes better. I’m not as snippy, I don’t feel rushed through my work, and sometimes I may even be caught humming a happy little tune as I type. “Me” time eliminates the need for Happy Hour.

Wishing you had some of this? Well, friends, I have good news… it’s easier than you think. With a bit of thought and planning, “me” time can quickly fit in to your daily routine. Let’s break it down in steps:

Step 1: What do you want to do?

Having “me” time is different for everyone. I know some of my friends who have kids are beginning for just 10, quiet minutes to themselves every day. Other people are searching for a solid hour to make it to a yoga class or go for a run. Maybe you’d love to have an extra 30 minutes in the evening to enjoy a bubble bath or a few chapters of some chick lit? Make a list of everything you want your “me” time to include. Be realistic. Be optimistic.

Step 2: Take Inventory

Go through your usual daily or weekly routine and make a note of everything you’re doing and how much time you’re dedicating to it. Don’t try to change anything just yet, go about your normal business so you can get a real look at what you’re doing, how much time you’re spending doing it, and where time could get freed up. There are many time tracking tools online that you could use; both Toggl and Klock have free versions that allow you to quickly type in what you’re working on and keep track of the time spent on each thing. Of course, you could go old school with a small notebook and pen. If you’re on the go, simply use something like the built in voice recorder app on the iPhone or the Audio Note option on Evernote‘s mobile version.

Step 3: Assess & Reevaluate

After you’ve taken inventory, take a look at your daily or weekly routine. See a bunch of completely unnecessary activities that are wasting your time? Fear not, most people do.  Do the math so that you really see what you’re spending your time on. Chances are, a lot of it is slipping away in places that will surprise you. Do you really need to spend 20 minutes catching up on Facebook on your phone before you get out of bed? You think I’m joking. Look for areas where you can completely eliminate time wasters or cut down on the amount of time you’ve dedicated to them.

Step 4: Limit Distractions

Staying focused always results in having more “me” time. There are days when I seem to do something like this:

• • Check emails
  • Check Facebook, like a few things and update status.
  • Check Twitter, retweet some stuff.
  • Send my sister a text.
  • Watch funny videos on YouTube.
  • Check email again to see if that one person replied.
  • Check facebook to see if anyone commented on my new status.
  • Check twitter to see who retweeted me.
  • Reply to sisters text.
  • Do it all again.

It’s a vicious cycle!

If you’re a victim of the internet sucking the life out of you, check out the Firefox add-on LeechBlock. With this handy tool, you can enter website addresses in which you find yourself wasting too much time on and set days and times that you’re “allowed” to be on them. One of LeechBlock’s best features is that it allows you to set daily time limits, so if I want to allow myself two hours of facebook time per day, I can get on as many times as I want, but when the two hours is up… it’s up. No more wasting time.

If you need more ideas to tame your internet loving beast, check out Zen Habit’s 8 Practical Tips to Cure Your Internet ADD {Attention Deficit Disorder}

Step 5: Make A Schedule

I know. This sounds stupidly basic, right? The truth is, we seem to make a schedule for everything else in life, so why not for daily life? The idea of wingin’ it and doing things whenever you feel like just doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to find some time for yourself. So, schedule it! Schedule time for all of your required errands, tasks, activities and your “me” time. You’re more likely to actually make time for yourself and follow through with it if you write it down in an assigned time slot.

Depending on who you are and how much is on your plate will dictate what your schedule is going to look like. Some people do well with something as simple as blocking of large chunks throughout the day; Monday morning is laundry, afternoon is paying bills and balancing checkbook, Tuesday and Thursday evening are book reading time, etc. Some of us need more structure. Personally, I’m attempting to run my days like a business. Monday through Friday, I have a detailed daily schedule– I give myself weekends off. My first chunk of “me” time is 10am when I sit down with a latte and watch reruns of Yes, Dear on TBS. I shut the laptop and switch the office phones to Do Not Disturb. An hour to just myself with no distractions makes the rest of my day flow smoothly and keeps me less stressed.

Make a schedule, stick to it, and make YOU a priority when planning your day.

What are your best tips for making time for yourself?

Share your ideas in the comments!

Remember, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight to learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors. I was selected and paid for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.