Psychotherapist Niro Feliciano suggests conducting a time inventory to identify misalignments between daily activities and personal priorities.
Key facts
- •Niro Feliciano is the author of 'This Book Won't Make You Happy: Eight Keys to Finding True Contentment'.
- •Feliciano suggests that individuals identify activities that make them feel resentful or exhausted to determine what to cut from their schedules.
- •The process involves comparing a list of personal priorities against an inventory of how time is actually spent each day.
- •Feliciano advises that setting healthy boundaries may face pushback from people who benefited from the previous lack of boundaries.
- •The practice of doing nothing or being still is presented as a valid way to use reclaimed time.
Psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker Niro Feliciano recommends performing a time audit to help individuals regain control of their schedules. Feliciano, a mother of four, developed this approach after realizing her own professional commitments left little room for personal priorities. By comparing how time is actually spent against a list of what is truly important, individuals can identify activities that cause exhaustion and adjust their daily routines to better reflect their values.
Conducting a Time Inventory
To begin the process, Feliciano suggests creating a list of the people and activities that hold the most importance, such as family members or hobbies. Following this, individuals should track their actual daily time usage to see if it aligns with those priorities. This exercise often reveals that significant portions of the day are consumed by chores, obligations, or time-sucking activities rather than meaningful pursuits.
Setting Boundaries and Making Adjustments
Realigning a schedule requires setting boundaries to limit activities that lead to resentment or depletion. Feliciano notes that individuals may need to communicate these changes to others, such as pausing social commitments. She also advises enlisting help from family members with daily chores to free up time. Once time is reclaimed, she suggests being purposeful by using it for joyful activities or simply resting, noting that being comfortable with boredom is a healthy practice.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NPR Health.
