As your typical busy woman, I wear my multi-tasking ability like a badge of honor. My day can easily be jam packed with emails, catching up on everyone’s weekends and a list of to-do items that seems to never end. Its often not until I am sitting in my car driving away from my busy day that I realize I’ve spent zero time with the most important person in my life: me.
It’s easy to get carried away with today’s urgent tasks, but it’s just as important to slow down every now and then. So before you dive head first into that busy day you have planned, consider how hitting the pause button might benefit you.
Think about your health.
You might not feel run down just yet, but imagine if you keep going at that fast pace. Before long you are bound to feel not just physically exhausted, but mentally overwhelmed as well. Don’t forget that your mind and body are connected, and if one is struggling the other is not too far behind.
Further to that, studies show just how important sleep and general rest are to your health. So dust off your yoga mat and get stuck into your meditation! It’s in these rest times that our bodies have the opportunity to repair and recharge, making you a happier, healthier and more mindful person.
Pushing your body beyond its limits usually results in those nasty side effects such as a low mood and phantom aches and pains. Not to mention the added stress you feel when you are running on empty. So make sure you listen to your body – it will tell you if it needs a break from all those late nights in front of the computer (don’t pretend like you haven’t been there!).
Learn to kick the guilt monster to the kerb.
It’s hard not to feel guilty when you are indulging in some ‘me’ time but have in the back of your mind that there is still so much to be done. Which is why, the concept of ‘doing nothing’ probably seems so foreign to most of us. This rest time is not something you should feel guilty about. It’s nothing more than taking some time to reorganise your priorities, and maybe take that walk in the sunshine to be alone with your thoughts. The emails and errands you need to manage aren’t going anywhere. Trust me when I say they will still be there tomorrow! So start small and little by little those guilty feelings will fade and be replaced with all the wonderful benefits of a recharged soul.
Remember that you don’t have to be a zen monk to gain a little inner peace. You don’t even need silence, intense hours of meditation, or a retreat to create your own stillness. All you need is to put a little space between things; leave room in that schedule of yours.
Don’t feel like you need to cram all those tasks into one day, and get comfortable with saying ‘no’ if you start to feel overwhelmed. Develop your own little rituals and control what you can; and don’t forget to hit the pause button every now and take a moment to just breathe.
Tammi Russ
Latest posts by Tammi Russ (see all)
- Do you need to hit pause? - July 1, 2016
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