Our time is a very precious and limited resource. When you are feeling overwhelmed, one of the tools that can help is -managing your time. I like knowing that there are things that I can do to get back up. Let us have a conversation about some strategies that I leverage to make time for things that matter to me. 
 
In this blog post, we will explore five things you can do to manage your time.
 
#1: Reclaim your time
What we spend our time on will determine how happy or unhappy we are. As with everything that impacts your life significantly, you need to be in control of how you spend your time. Remember that your time is precious. Realizing that I needed to own how I spent my time changed my life for the better. I am now very intentional about what I invest my time in and know that I need to reevaluate and adjust when I am overwhelmed. I want to be able to look back and say that I spent my time on things that mattered to me.
 
Strategies to consider

• Remind yourself of the value of your time
• Take control of managing your time

 
#2: Set and communicate your boundaries
We guard things that we care about. This principle should also apply to your time. Especially as I have progressed to a new phase in my life, I know how important it is to set boundaries around my time. Letting people know how much time you are willing to spend on a particular commitment is crucial. Communicate your boundaries at work, with your family and friends.
 
Strategies to consider

• Set boundaries around how much of your time you spend with friends, work, chores, and other things
  
• Be vocal about what your boundaries are with people around you
  

 
#3: Start new habits and have a routine
Applying measures that save your time or increase the impact of how you spend your time is life changing. Two things that have helped me accomplish the things, I care about are, having good habits and a routine. Having a process by which you do things routinely will save you time and make time for you to focus on what really matters. My morning and evening routines are consistent, and they help me save time.
 
Strategies to consider

• Set routines and habits you want to adapt to save your time
• Identify the habits that waste your time, and you want to stop

 
#4: Have a plan and set priorities
As we progress in our lives, multiple things are competing for our time. To ensure we are spending time on the important things we need to set priorities. Once you know your top priorities, you want to create a plan and carve out time for them. As your priorities might change more often, it is crucial to get into a planning routine to revisit your priorities and make time for them.
 
Strategies to consider

• Plan out your days and week
• Set the top 3 things you want to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis

 
#5: Track how you are spending your time
Knowing how you spend one of the most valuable resources - your time - is essential to managing your time.  Use tools such as calendars to plan and track how you are spending your time. This will help you identify what is wasting your time and make changes to help you have more time for your priorities.
 
Strategies to consider

• Review what you did in the last week
• Actively eliminate things that are wasting your time

 
Great Resources
Check out some of my previous blog posts with more helpful tips and resources to help you take charge of your time and accomplish more.

• How to get things done in a very busy world
• Set priorities and make time for things that matter
• Video: How to make the most of your time
• Manage procrastination and achieve more
• The Importance of Living Intentionally

 
Time for Reflection
How are you spending your time?
What would you like to do if you could find some time to?
How could you make time for what you really want to do?

Taking care of your mental health is extremely crucial. We are all dealing with a lot as we work towards accomplishing our goals and living in the world today. There are so many things that impact our mental health. I strongly believe that we have to be intentional and actively maintain our mental health. Your happiness, health, and overall well-being are strongly dependent on how your mind is doing.
 
In this blog post, I will share the five things I am doing to prioritize my mental health. These are things that I strive to do daily for my well-being.
 
#1: Sharing when I am struggling
For some reason, I thought telling people I was having a bad day or struggling with something was a sign of weakness. It has a lot to with my upbringing, where we always had to say we were doing well and show strength. I ended up bottling in all my worries and not sharing them with anyone, not even the people closest to me. Unlearning this took me a long time. I still catch myself wanting to say I am doing fine when I am not. We need to start speaking honestly about our mental health.
 
Questions to consider

• Who do you tell when you are struggling?
• How can you be more honest with people around you about how you are really feeling?

 
#2: Shutting out the news and negative things
Last year, I was obsessing over the news because I was following the political events in the US. I found myself watching a lot of news. I noticed that what I saw on the news was having a bigger impact on my mental health than I thought. After I went back to work, I realized that I could no longer dedicate brain space to all the bad news. I decided to reduce the amount of news that I read or listen to daily. Guarding my mind has had a positive effect on my overall well-being.
 
Questions to consider

• What do you need to shut out to maintain your well-being?

 
#3: Limiting my circle to have only people who uplift me
The people you surround yourself with will influence your happiness and mental health. One thing that I have learned about myself is that I get impacted by the things that others around me are going through. On my quest for mental well-being, I have decided to keep my circle of friends very small. I make sure that people around me influence me positively, that I have a positive impact on their lives, and that we are there for one another through all life experiences.
 
Questions to consider

• Who are the people around you that encourage you and make you happy?

 
#4: Saying "No" and setting boundaries
Over the past years, I have realized that it is essential for me to set boundaries. The more I have grown, I know that my time and resources are limited. Considering that, I have to say no to things that I do not want to do and things that don't add value to my life. Letting people in my life and at work know what my boundaries are, has improved the quality of my life a lot. If I am spending my time doing something, it is because I want to do it.
 
Questions to consider

• What do you need to start saying "No" to?

 
#5: Reduce the pressure that I'm putting on myself
One thing that impacts my mental health negatively is feeling overwhelmed. After searching for the most frequent cause, I realized that I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. I found myself striving for perfection in all areas of my life, which is impossible. Evaluating and resetting the standards that I hold myself to have been a game-changer for me. Sometimes I have to accept that getting something done is good enough, even if it is not perfect. I am also learning that it is ok to rest even when my to-do list is long.
 
Questions to consider

• How are you going to show yourself grace?

 
Final Thoughts
May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. It serves as a good reminder for us to prioritize our mental health. We need to take care of our mental health every single day to do all the amazing things we want to do in life.
 
Time for Reflection

• How are you really doing?
• Are you being intentional and caring for your mental health?
• What are you going to do differently to maintain your mental health?

This year, Mother's Day is incredibly special to me. I am celebrating my motherhood journey as a first-time mom. Life with my son has been one of the most amazing and life-changing journeys in my life. To celebrate this milestone, I will be reflecting on my experiences so far.
 
In this blog post, I will share the things that have changed over the past almost seven months since I had my baby.
 
First things first - Having a baby during a pandemic
Interestingly, I found out I was about six weeks pregnant in early March 2020 when the world was starting to see the impact of the pandemic. Working from home, our state being shut down, and being pregnant at the same time was surreal to me. I wondered how different my experience would have been at any other time. I never expected that my whole pregnancy and birth would happen while a pandemic took a toll on the world and changed our lives forever.
 
How have I changed since I became a mom?
The transformation that parents go through when they have children is impressive. Some new things happened, and other things became more heightened.
 
My focus has increased
One of my strengths is being focused. However, I have gone through the transformation that I have an additional motivator to be focused on. I am extremely intentional about how I spend my time and invest my energy. Especially since I am working full-time and caring for my baby, my time is very precious. My priority is to make sure my son is well taken care of while I build my career.
 
I prepare for everything
Being prepared for even the mundane things is now part of my life. I have my list and calendar appointments for everything. There is so much that I need to take care of these days. Being organized has been very pivotal to my success. I even have a list of the updates and questions for my son's pediatrician.
 
I have become more emotionally sensitive
People who know me personally know that I am a very emotional person. It does not take much to see me cry or be happy and sometimes have both feelings simultaneously. These days, I find some news stories that I do not want to watch because they affect me differently. I am generally much more sensitive.
 
My sense of hearing is heightened
Before I had a baby, it was not like I did not hear any noises. However, now I hear everything. I hear my baby make sounds in the other room. I hear every dog barking or things happening outside. I am sure my husband is tired of me asking, "did you hear that?".
 
My ability to love unconditionally has multiplied
I look at this little baby and wonder how I can love someone so much. Even at the end of a remarkably busy day for both of us, I thank God for the amazing gift of motherhood. I'm blessed that I get to love my son and teach him how to love others.
 
Final Thoughts
My motherhood journey has been this amazing because of my wonderful husband and my sister. They have been my constant companions. Seeing my husband being the best father to our son makes me extremely happy. Words cannot describe how blessed I feel to be able to share motherhood stories with my sister. Thank you, MS and DC, for making motherhood an amazing journey and raising our amazing boy.
 
To all the amazing mothers and caregivers, Happy Mother’s Day to you. May you get to experience more joy as you pour into other people's lives.

This year marks twenty years of me living abroad. To celebrate this significant milestone in my life, I am taking a moment to reflect on my journey so far. One thing I have been wondering is how my experiences living in various countries differed. My relocation journeys to Germany and the US have been quite different for many reasons.
 
In this blog post, I will share the factors that made my experiences different and the lessons that I learned. Check out my other Her Relocation blog posts about my experiences living in Nigeria, Germany, and the US.
 
My Age
When I moved to Germany in 2001, I was only 15 years old. Thinking back, I really do not know how I did it. When people ask me how I survived in a foreign country at such a young age, I tell them that I did not stop to think about it. I knew that I had to make it work. Fourteen years later, when I moved to the US, I was older and had more life experience. And more importantly, I was mature and knew what I wanted more.
 
What did I learn?

• No matter your age or stage in life, you can do something brave

 
Being mentally prepared
Strangely, I was never asked if I wanted to move to Germany. It seemed like the natural next step when I graduated from secondary school (aka high school). I had no idea what I would experience and was not prepared for the journey that I was embarking on.  When I relocated to the US, it was my decision, and I had some time to prepare for my move. The most important part was that I was mentally prepared and had an idea of what I could expect.
 
What did I learn?

• Making informed decisions and getting prepared makes transitions much easier

 
Facing my fears and worries
When I moved to Germany, I did not have time to let fear stop me. Although I was afraid, I had to do everything I could to stay above water and survive. My worries mainly were around finances and being able to study successfully. On the other hand, with the move to the US, I had more to lose as I was in a different phase of my life. I was afraid that if the decision I made was not the right one, it would set me back a few years. I was leaving behind the successful life that I had built in Germany for a new life based on hopes and dreams.
 
What did I learn?

• The fear of the unknown is part of life. To do great things, you will need to overcome those fears

 
Adapting to cultural differences
When I moved to Germany, the cultural shock that I experienced was immense. The culture was vastly different from what I knew growing up in Nigeria. The language barrier made my experience even more difficult. Compared to when I moved to the US, there were still cultural differences. However, this time I spoke the language and was able to adapt a little easier. I also knew that I would experience some culture shock, so I was more prepared.
 
What did I learn?

• Educating yourself about the new culture is crucial to settle into a new country

 
Hoping for new opportunities
When I was going to Germany, I had no idea what opportunities I would have in this new country. It took a while after I moved for me to start to discover them. Coming to the US, I felt like my world was expanding, and great opportunities were available to me. I had learned how to create a plan before I embarked on my quest to start a new life. In addition, I now had the skill set that helped me go after the opportunities I wanted.
 
What did I learn?

• It is crucial to explore available opportunities and have an adjustable plan

 
Having great people in my life
When I moved to Germany, I had to navigate life on my own. The loneliness that I experienced in my first months kept making me want to go back to Nigeria. Thankfully when I moved to the US, I had my now husband here, and he had his established community that I was able to plug into. Having a companion on my journey made my move to the US more delightful.
 
What did I learn?

• Making connections and building your support community will help you settle into your new home faster

 
MC's Moment of Reflection
They say pictures speak louder than words. The first picture was taken when I moved to Germany in 2001, and the second one was when I moved to the US in 2015. I experienced so many ups and downs between those two pictures. However, one thing remained - my smile.