🧶 How Do You Carve Out Time for Yourself?

COMMUNITY CHAT: How do you make time for yourself when it feels like you have no time for anything!?

“UGH, I feel like I always have to be on 24/7 for everyone else in my family,” one of our members confessed in Founders With Kids.

“I feel like I’m constantly battling between the demands of my business and the never-ending needs of my family.

Even simple things like going to the gym, running errands, or meeting a friend for coffee feel impossible to ask for without feeling like I need permission. I know it sounds trivial, but there’s always a sense of disappointment or frustration from my family when I do.

How do you navigate this kind of mental and emotional tug-of-war? What’s worked for you in creating some balance without guilt or resentment? How do you make space for your own needs while still being present for your family?

Where do I start?”

When you’re a primary breadwinner AND a parent, it can feel impossible to gain traction in all areas of your life—let alone talk about finding any time for yourself! A lot of moms share the added frustration of gender norms, where they are expected to be the primary caregiver by default, where other people can come and go from the house at will, but they are always expected to run point on all things children. And dads, I want to hear about how you’ve struggled with this, or faced different gendered expectations that make this hard in more ways.

There are a lot of reasons why folks can feel like this is impossible:

• Business Demands can feel overwhelming and impossible to put down.

• Internal Self-Talk can be unrelenting and it’s hard to give yourself permission to do the things you know you need.

• Gender Norms or partnership disagreements can add complexity because you feel like a default parent, or that you have to organize and arrange with a spouse just to get any time to yourself.

I want you all to share your advice on this topic.

How have you found ways to take solo time, or carve out a tiny bit of space for yourself? Where are the biggest blockers or challenges for you (family, business, logistics, internal dialogue, or something else)?

If you’ve successfully navigated a conversation with a partner or a spouse to find ways to recharge and take space, please share what strategies you’ve used and how you’ve navigated this. People want to hear your stories!