Time, as an exact thing, is a human creation. Nature and the world around us has timing, but it doesn't have time. Time helps us communicate and work together, and in order to all be on the same page we need to have a common language and system for measuring time. But, in order to make it neat and tidy, we have found that, once every four years, we need to make an adjustment, we need to correct our time.
On a Leap Year, we add a whole new day, we fix the error in our timing, in order to bring everything back into sync. This is a great time to bring other areas of our lives into sync, but also an energy we can tap into during the rest of the year.
There are so many different cycles we live through, whether it is the week, month, moon, seasonal, work week, school year...our life is a never-ending series of cycles. And sometimes things will throw those off kilter. I remember when I was in school, whenever we had to miss a day, the whole rest of the week felt like scrambling. Today, I have my personal life set so I do certain things on certain days, and when I have to adjust that I feel very off-balance.
Setting our time back into sync can be as simple as making a conscious effort to either add or remove days. When we add days, it's like Leap year, we are taking the day and setting it outside of time. Often, we treat holidays like this. They become these little capsules of time that don't follow the normal rules.
Think about holidays as a child....you often got fancy foods, you might have a different bedtime, or you might be allowed to skip your chores. As adults, we often continue these trends. When we get an extra day off, like for a holiday, we relish that time, and all bets are off. We set it aside and really just give ourselves that gift of time. It becomes time to catch up...not on things we 'should' be doing, but on things we wish we had time for.
I don't know how many times I have wished for extra hours in the day, and I am sure I am not alone. We have so much we want to do, and often the fun things are pushed to the back of the list. We say we'll get around to them when we have time, or when everything else is done. And that time never comes.
So sometimes, we may need to make a conscious choice to give ourselves a day. And then treat that day like a holiday from our regular duties. Of course you will still want to make sure everyone is fed and the absolutely necessary stuff gets taken care of, but think about ways in which you can make even those duties fun. You have to eat dinner, but you can make fun snacky foods or maybe get takeout, or pick your favorite frozen meal so you don't have to cook. By setting the day 'outside of time' you are acknowledging that it is special and that it's okay to goof off. And sometimes, that is exactly what we need.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, sometimes we need to make the mental adjustment to remove days. My days are normally pretty free, but I do have days where I'm just not home. I might have a lot of errands to run, or maybe I am going to an event. Pretty much, if I am only going to be home for a few hours, I consider the day a null. I find a way to reassign or just flat out cancel the normal stuff I would do, so I don't feel compelled to cram all the normal stuff into those few hours.
Some things are easy to put off. I clean twice a week, but we can get by with once a week. So if I can't clean the day before/after, then I just nix one of the cleanings (or do a partial, I might run a vacuum but not sweep or dust). I have a decent little list of daily stuff that I do, and on null days most of that list gets scrapped.
The big thing here is to do it deliberately, and to go into the day knowing it's going to be a null day. Getting behind, being rushed, and then realizing you just simply can't do a thing isn't the same. Because you will be thinking about it and it will be weighing on you.
I also find that time correction may become necessary for regular routines, when things happen. When we build up a habit, we want to keep that momentum running. We might feel guilty for taking days off, or for breaking our own rules. But sometimes, taking breaks can be what helps us keep going in the long run.
The immediate answer that comes to mind is cheat days on a diet. Now there are two ways to approach cheat days, one is healthy, the other...not so much. If you plan on a cheat day, and you treat it simply as a day 'outside of time' so your normal rules don't apply, then you can enjoy that day without guilt. This is a great thing to do if you maybe have a friend's party to go to or your partner is taking you out for a special occasion. You may not want to be thinking about the diet, you just want to enjoy the night, to appreciate that special time.
The bad way is when you make a mistake (because we all do), and you cave into your impulses and you get that piece of cake...then say "Oh, well, since I'm now on a cheat day I might as well have half a dozen donuts, some cookies and this whole bag of chips...it's okay, it's a cheat day." Because you didn't plan on the cheat day, and it wasn't done deliberately it becomes a guilty thing. Plus you are over indulging, and almost trying to make up for all the restrictions you normally follow. It's like if you were trying to set aside a dollar every day to save up for a big purchase you wanted, but you keep giving in to temptation and saying "Oh, it's just one purchase..." but buying something that costs more than you saved all week...you never actually save up enough for what you wanted.
Letting go of days (or taking days off) can be very hard, so you might want to create a specific ritual to help you get in the right mindset (and not let these correction days get out of hand). I do morning planning, so when I know I have a day that needs adjusting from my normal routine, I can literally put that down in my planner, and schedule the off day. Also, if it is something I know about ahead of time, I can plan around it...but even if it's a last minute thing, I can use my planner to shift tasks that absolutely need done, so that I can actually relax into the day.
But even if you don't have a regular planning practice, you can create a ritual or change something specific at the start of the day, to make it a conscious choice. If you are taking a day off, maybe you don't even get dressed, but stay all day in your pajamas. If it is a day you have to let go of, perhaps you plan on grabbing coffee and breakfast on your way to your first thing, instead of having to take even more time to do it at home (or you prepare something the night before, so all you have to do is grab it and go).
I personally love the phrase 'time out of time'. I think of ritual time that way, as it doesn't quite fit in the normal flow of time. I consider off days to be time out of time, as if they aren't quite real, and being able to step into that mindset may require a bit of ritual. Consider lighting a candle and taking your watch (or phone if you really want to be ambitious!) and setting it on your altar...for the rest of the day.
Calling upon the energy of Leap Day can also help you make that mental shift, so that you are able to adjust the time in your head. And that is the most important thing. Once you get your head in the right place, the rest will follow. So, as we approach Leap Day this Leap Year, think about places in your life where you might need to correct your time...and plan on doing it!
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