Ways to Refocus on You

Do you feel like you are living with too much chaos and can’t get away? Have you ever wished you could free up your time, space, and energy? Then it’s time to refocus.

For women over 50, focusing on your self might initially feel selfish, but it is a crucial for maintaining overall health and happiness. This stage of life often brings significant changes, including shifts in family dynamics, career transitions, and physical transformations. Prioritizing self-care and personal growth during these years is not just beneficial; it’s essential for fostering resilience, discovering new passions, and cultivating a sense of well-being that radiates into every area of life.

Refocusing on your life is more than just a thought — it’s a pathway to rediscovering your passions, dedicating time to your well-being, and focusing on what truly fulfills you. It’s about making the conscious decision to declutter not just your physical environment, but also your mental and emotional spaces. This means letting go of obligations that no longer serve you, prioritizing your health and happiness, and reallocating your precious resources towards activities that bring you peace, joy, and a sense of purpose as you thrive in this enriching phase of life.

While personal, there are many common areas you can work on to get you started. The following are five ways to refocus your life and some tips on how to implement them:

Setting boundaries is essential for maintaining your physical and emotional well-being, especially as you seek to simplify your life. Begin by evaluating your relationships and possessions, asking yourself which ones enrich your life and which ones drain it. It’s important to communicate your needs and limits clearly and respectfully, especially with people who may be accustomed to crossing those boundaries. For possessions, set limits on what you allow into your space. Ask yourself if each item serves a purpose or brings joy. If it does not, let it go. This practice of setting boundaries helps to ensure that your life is filled with only what truly benefits you, making more room for peace, satisfaction, and joy.

Money is one of the most common areas creating stress in people’s lives. It might seem complex and overwhelming, but start by focusing on just one key area — cash flow. To get control and simplify your cash flow, you need a budget. Luckily, effective budgets don’t need to be complicated. For example, if you are still working, the 50/30/20 budget states that fifty percent of your income should be allocated to “needs” such as basic core living needs like housing, utilities, food, and transportation. Thirty percent can be allocated to “wants” for discretionary spending, such as shopping, travel, and entertainment. The remaining twenty percent is for “savings” to cover longer-term goals like retirement. If you have unsecured debt, reduce your discretionary “wants” allowance to get debt paid off. This plan is a straightforward budgeting method that hits all the important areas of our lives.

Integrating regular physical activity cannot be overstated. Exercise functions not only to improve physical health but also to clear the mind, boost energy levels, and enhance mood. By dedicating a specific time for workouts, you can establish a rhythm to your day, effectively breaking it into more manageable segments. This physical engagement acts as a mental reset, affording clarity and renewed focus for tackling the day’s tasks. Finding time to exercise is about making it a non-negotiable part of your day. Review your daily activities and identify pockets of wasted time that could be used for physical activity. This might be early in the morning before the day starts, during lunch breaks, or even integrating exercise into other activities. Remember, exercise doesn’t always mean an hour at the gym; even short, consistent periods of physical activity can have significant benefits. It’s about prioritizing your health and well-being by intentionally scheduling time for exercise, just as you would for any other critical appointment.

Simplifying your life also means making mealtime easier while still eating healthily. Instead of relying on takeout or dining out—which can still be time-consuming and often not healthy—try preparing simple, nutritious meals at home. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated unless you enjoy cooking and want to spend more time on it. With a bit of planning, you can make quick and healthy dishes. Consider meal prepping: spending a few hours cooking meals for the entire week can save you a lot of time and decision-making every day. Plus, homemade meals are generally less expensive and healthier than their restaurant counterparts, making it a win-win.

Switching the focus to setting weekly, rather than monthly goals, offers significant advantages for managing both time and tasks more effectively. By breaking down larger objectives into smaller, achievable segments, individuals can maintain a sharper focus and a stronger sense of accomplishment. This approach not only enhances motivation but also allows for quicker adjustments in strategy, ensuring a persistent alignment with overarching ambitions. Weekly milestones serve as frequent checkpoints to review progress, making it easier to stay on track or pivot as necessary without the overwhelming pressure of a distant, monthly target.

Believe it or not, constantly being busy does not equal productivity. You don’t need to have a full to-do list to have a productive day. You may only be setting yourself up for failure as you don’t have enough energy or focus to finish that many tasks. Reducing your to-do lists gives you more freedom to grow and improve your weaknesses. When it comes to daily tasks and responsibilities, focus on prioritizing the top three key action items that will have the most impact on your overall goals. This will allow you to devote your time and energy towards completing these important tasks rather than getting bogged down by a long list of less significant ones.

Overall, the key is to focus on what you love and value the most while improving or ignoring the things that prevent you from doing so. The more time you spend on the things you love, the happier you will be in life as you are no longer stressed out by unnecessary things that bring you down.