As women, we spend much of our time caring for our children, parents, friends and co-workers. We do what needs to be done for others without a thought. So, when it comes to ourselves, we often forget we have a choice as to how we spend our time.

The next time you sit down to watch another television program, stop and ask yourself, “Would I really rather paint, draw, sing, write, scrapbook, garden or make a new recipe for the next 30 minutes?” If the answer is yes, go for it! You’d already blocked out the next half hour of your life to watch TV. Why not give yourself that same amount of time to do something creative?

When we choose to enjoy creativity, we’re making a healthy choice for our mind, body and spirit. According to a study at George Washington University, participants who took part in creative activities reported better overall health, fewer doctor visits, less medication use, less depression and higher overall morale.

Jill Badonsky, author and founder of Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching, has this to say: “Creativity and inspiration are underused remedies and portals to a more incredible existence. How can we dispute that we were meant to exercise our creative muscles? For when we do, we achieve timelessness, bliss, kindness, energy, better health and the divine validation of creation.”

Let’s say you have phone calls to return. Are they urgent? If not, choose creativity first, and then make the calls. You can also reward yourself with a creative endeavor after crossing something not so pleasant off your to-do list.

Here’s another trick. Say you really do want to watch TV or return those calls. Can you give yourself the commercial breaks, or five minutes between phone calls? It may not be enough time to see a project through from beginning to end, but it’s long enough to make a quick list of possible song titles, pull images from magazines for a collage, doodle or clip out a few recipes.

By giving yourself permission enjoy creativity, for even five or 10 minutes, you’ll boost your mood, relieve stress and put yourself in a positive state of mind that’s likely to last for hours. What a great return on your investment of time!

Jill Allison Bryan is a certified Kaizen-Muse creativity coach, founder of Creative Oasis Coaching and a singer/songwriter. Learn more at CreativeOasisCoaching.com and CreativeOasisCoaching.blogspot.com.