Feeling overwhelmed in Dubai? Learn how values-based scheduling can help you reclaim your time, set boundaries, and prioritize what truly matters.

Before moving to Dubai, I had this picture in my head… a life that felt spacious. I imagined ease. Convenience. More balance. After all, this is a place where support is abundant. House help, childcare, deliveries at your doorstep… everything is designed to make life easier. So naturally, I assumed that people here, especially moms, would have a more relaxed way of living.

But what I found? The complete opposite.

Women here (especially the moms) are in constant motion. They’re running businesses, managing households, staying on top of social circles, attending every event, juggling work, kids, fitness, and everything in between. It’s as if the more support there is, the more we feel like we have to accomplish. Instead of slowing down, it’s like the pressure to maximise every moment just keeps rising.

And that got me thinking… is this just a Dubai thing, or is this just a modern woman thing?

Because the more I talk to women (whether they’re here in the UAE, in the U.S., in Europe) this pattern is everywhere. We have more tools, more resources, more productivity hacks than ever before… and yet, we’re still exhausted. We’re still running on empty, trying to do everything, but somehow never quite feeling like we’re spending our time where it actually matters.

Maybe you feel this too.

You wake up with the best intentions, but the day gets swallowed up… work, errands, house tasks, kids’ activities, answering messages, keeping up with life. And before you know it, another week has passed, and those things that really matter to you? They got squeezed out again.

So today, I don’t want to give you another productivity tip. I don’t want to tell you how to “get more done.” Instead, I want to help you reclaim your time… not by cramming in more, but by getting crystal clear on what actually deserves your time in the first place.

Because if we don’t actively choose how we spend our time, the world will choose for us.

Why Your Time Feels Out of Control
(and How to Reclaim It)

Let me ask you something.

If you could spend more time on what actually matters to you, what would that look like?

• Would you have long, distraction-free moments with your kids… where you’re fully present, not just physically there but mentally, emotionally engaged?

• Would you finally start working on that business idea that’s been sitting in the back of your mind for years?

• Would you prioritise your health… moving your body, getting more rest, taking care of your mental clarity?

Now here’s the hard truth.

If you don’t actively make space for those things, life will fill your time for you.

Because here’s what happens to most of us. We wake up every morning and immediately go into reaction mode… responding to emails, handling responsibilities, managing the next thing on our never-ending list. The day moves fast, and before we know it, we’re collapsing into bed, exhausted, wondering where did the time even go?

We think the problem is that we don’t have enough time. But that’s not actually true.

The real issue? Most of us are spending our time by default, not by design.

Introducing Values-Based Scheduling

One of the biggest shifts I’ve made (and the thing I teach my clients) is this:

Your schedule should be built around what fills you up… not just what feels urgent.

But most of us do the opposite. We start by cramming in everything we have to do… work, errands, meetings, school drop-offs, social obligations. And if, by some miracle, there’s any time left over, we might squeeze in something for ourselves.

But what if we flipped that?

What if, instead of trying to fit your priorities around your obligations, you built your schedule around your priorities?

How This Changes Everything

📌 Less burnout, more fulfillment.
When your days are centred around what nourishes you, you stop running on empty. You stop waiting for a vacation to feel rested because you’re making space for what actually fuels you every single day.

📌 More intentional productivity.
When you know what truly matters, you work smarter, not harder. You stop wasting time on things that don’t move the needle and start focusing on what actually makes a difference.

📌 Stronger boundaries.
When you’re clear on your values, it becomes so much easier to say no to things that drain you. You stop feeling guilty for turning down things that don’t align because you know exactly what you’re protecting.

Because here’s the thing… if you don’t set the boundaries, everything else will take over.

And when that happens, you’re back in the same cycle: Busy, overwhelmed, and wondering why you never have time for what truly matters.

So let’s change that. Let’s take a deeper look at how this plays out in real life.

Values-Based Scheduling: Designing a Life That Reflects What Truly Matters

When I moved to Dubai, I knew I wanted to scale my business. But I also realised very quickly that if I wasn’t intentional about my time, it would disappear into a blur of endless to-dos, social commitments, and distractions.

So I made a decision: My schedule wasn’t going to be dictated by what felt urgent… I was going to build it around what actually mattered to me.

This is what I call values-based scheduling… a way of structuring your time so that your priorities come first, not last.

Because if you don’t design your days with intention, the world will design them for you.

What Does Values-Based Scheduling Look Like?

Instead of treating your most important values like an afterthought, you put them at the centre of your schedule. Everything else (work, errands, obligations) fits around them, not the other way around.

For me, this plays out in three specific ways:

1️⃣ Family First: Protecting What Matters Most

Family time is one of my core values, so I set a non-negotiable boundary: I don’t work when my kids are home.

That means no “just one more email” at the dinner table. No checking messages while they’re telling me about their day. I block out time for them the same way I would for an important meeting… because no amount of business success is worth missing out on those moments.

And here’s the thing: Setting this boundary doesn’t limit me… it forces me to be more focused and intentional with the time I do have.

2️⃣ Movement Before Meetings: Prioritising My Well-Being

Another core value for me is movement. I know that when I move my body, I feel stronger, clearer, and more grounded. But I also know that if I don’t schedule it first, it’ll get pushed to “later”… and “later” rarely happens.

So before I even look at my to-do list for the day, I schedule time to move. Whether it’s a workout, a walk, or stretching in my living room, that time is blocked before any work meetings.

It’s a small shift, but it changes everything… because when I take care of my body, I show up better for everything else.

3️⃣ Connection With Intention: Saying No to the Wrong Yes-es

Being new to Dubai, I knew I wanted to build relationships and expand my network. But I realised quickly that there is so much going on here, that saying yes to everything would leave me drained.

So I set a clear rule: If an event, coffee date, or meeting conflicts with my other core values… like family time or movement or even just my own downtime… it’s a no. No guilt, no second-guessing.

Because true alignment isn’t about squeezing more in… it’s about making sure what you say matters to you is actually reflected in how you spend your time.

What Happens When You Schedule by Values?

📌 You stop feeling like you're constantly catching up.
Instead of being in reactive mode, you move through your days with clarity and purpose.

📌 You stop saying yes out of guilt.
When you’re clear on your priorities, it’s so much easier to say no to what doesn’t align.

📌 You finally feel like you’re spending time on what truly fulfills you.
And that is what leads to real balance… not just in Dubai, but anywhere.

A Simple Exercise to Reclaim Your Time

Let’s do a quick check-in.

Because it’s one thing to say we value something (family, health, creativity, rest) but it’s another thing to actually see how much of our time reflects those values.

So grab a piece of paper (or just take a mental note) and walk through this with me. This exercise will help you uncover where your time is going right now… and how you can start shifting it toward what truly matters.

Step 1: Where Does Your Time Actually Go?

Think about a typical day or week in your life. Write down (or mentally list) the major things you spend time on:

• Work tasks

• Household chores

• Errands

• Social media scrolling

• Meetings

• Kids’ activities

• Phone calls/messages

• Random obligations you said yes to out of guilt

Be brutally honest here. It’s not about judging yourself… it’s about creating awareness.

Step 2: What Are Your Top 3 Values?

Now, think about the things that truly matter to you. The things that, if you prioritised them more, would make your life feel deeply fulfilling.

Your top values might be:

• Family (quality time, being present)

• Health (movement, rest, nourishment)

• Creativity (writing, music, art)

• Personal Growth (learning, self-care)

• Connection (friendships, meaningful conversations)

Choose your top three. The ones that, if they were missing, would make you feel off… like something essential was being neglected.

Step 3: Compare Your Two Lists

Now, take a look.

How much of your time is actually going toward the things you say you value?
Are your days filled with obligations that don’t align?
Are you spending more time on reactive tasks than on what fuels you?

This can be an eye-opening moment. Because for many of us, the things we care about the most are often the things we’re giving the least time to.

Step 4: Make One Small Shift

Now, let’s bring this into action.

📍 What’s one thing you’re spending too much time on that doesn’t align with your values?
Maybe you’re overcommitting to things out of guilt, spending hours doom-scrolling, or saying yes to things you don’t even care about.

📍 What’s one thing you’re NOT spending enough time on that actually matters?
Maybe you want more quality time with your kids, but work keeps creeping into your evenings. Maybe you value health but never actually schedule time to move your body.

👉 Your challenge: Choose one thing to put less time into this week and one thing to prioritise more.

Even the smallest shift can change how you experience your entire day.

Your Time is Yours… But Only If You Claim It

The reality is:

🚫 Busyness is not the same as fulfillment.
🚫 A full life isn’t the same as a fulfilling one.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that if we just manage our time better… if we plan more efficiently, wake up earlier, multitask harder… we’ll finally feel in control. But that’s a lie.

Time management isn’t the real issue. The real issue is how we choose to spend our time.

Because if you don’t set clear priorities, the world will do it for you. Your inbox, your obligations, other people’s expectations… everything will pull you in different directions until you’re stretched so thin you don’t even recognise your own life.

But you can shift this.

You can choose to stop letting your days get filled by default and start designing them with intention.

Imagine what would happen if you did:
✔️ You’d stop feeling guilty for saying no to things that don’t align.
✔️ You’d finally have space for what truly fulfils you.
✔️ You’d stop ending each day exhausted and start ending it feeling satisfied.

And it doesn’t take a massive life overhaul. It starts with one small choice… one shift toward reclaiming your time and making it yours again.

So let me ask you: What’s ONE thing you want to create more time for this week?

If this post resonated with you, and you know you need deeper support in getting clear on your values and designing your days around them, I have something new releasing soon that you don’t want to miss.

Follow me on Instagram @east2westmama and DM me “CLARITY” for first access!

Thank you for being here. If this spoke to you, send me a DM or share this with someone who needs to hear it. Because when women start living in alignment with what truly matters, everything changes. 💛