Virginia WaltonIf you prefer the video version, click here https://youtu.be/YZMdYRV8F7M
Living on the east coast the fall seems to be such a beautiful time of year, but it is also very busy! The weather is perfect for outdoor events and there are plenty of them:
- Apple and pumpkin picking
- Hayrides
- Charity runs
- Octoberfest
- Garlic Fest
- Fall festivals
- Football games
- Soccer, field hockey
- Weddings
The list goes on and on. In our world of FOMO (fear of missing out), we want to be in everything and enjoy it all! Especially since we could not do many of these last fall.
So, how do you get to everything without sacrificing yourself?
The goal here is not to teach you how to say “No.” to these great activities.
We need to enjoy life, not just work, chauffer kids, shower and repeat.
Try these tips.
- Look at your calendar. Where do you have control? And nothing is not an option.
You may not have as much control over your work days as you would like, but you have some.
Here are things to consider as you plan your work week to help you keep reasonable hours:
- Did you schedule time for tasks, like quarterly reporting, project work, or whatever tasks you need to complete this week. If not, block it out before someone schedules something.
- Did you look at the meetings you have scheduled to see how many are really necessary or require you to add value?
- Did you delegate low value meetings to your staff, share tasks that given them an opportunity to improve their skills?
- Did you look at your weekends?
- Do you have any routines for self-care?
I do not just mean the monthly massage, pedicure or facial. These are great and but I bet many women who have these routines, miss out on the true benefits because they are thinking about work or checking their emails as they can during these times that should be full of relaxation.
- I am talking about the daily routines that nourish you. If you do, are you keeping them no matter how busy your day is or what day it is?
- If you do not have any daily routines now is a great time to start them. That does not mean they need to elaborate or difficult, but they do require commitment.
If you are the hard working get things done kind of person, commitment should come naturally.
- Start small. You probably have a morning routine during the week. This may include a workout, a walk, and for most I would guess coffee. These are things you do to get ready to face the day!
- What do you do to get yourself ready to enjoy the day? To mentally prepare yourself. What parts of your self-care are non-negotiable?
- You can find lots of articles and books that offer suggestions for how to start your day. I recently read one that included tongue scraping (amazing the health benefits that has other than just improving your breath!), a mind shower and room temperature water with lemon.
- Maybe the idea of the tongue scrapping makes you gag, so trying something else.
It could be 10 minutes to enjoy your coffee without distractions, devices or interruptions. 10 minutes, that should be easy to keep.
- Another great simple one is to start your day with gratitude. Journal three things you are grateful for. No time to write them down, think of them while you are in the shower maybe say them out loud.
Assuming you are showering alone, no one will hear you so it’s a great time for some self- talk too.
The idea here is not to give you a comprehensive list of small acts of self-care, it is to get you thinking about what small things can you do each day to take care of you!
Earlier I said my morning meditation is my non-negotiable, so before you think, “must be nice to have that kind of time!”, I do 5 to 10 minutes, not hours. You probably spent more than that on Facebook today.
Start small and make it something you can do daily so it becomes a habit. That is the key.
Share your non-negotiable in the comments!