I’m having a difficult time slowing down.
You would think that since I am no longer working a “real” job, I would have all this free time but that’s just not the case. I feel like I am even more busy than I was before I became a full-time business owner. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining one bit. I love it! Having the freedom to make my own schedule and not answer to anyone else is amazing! Relying on me, and only me, motivates me to keep going in a big way.
My challenge right now is to remember to take breaks because sometimes it feels like I need to do more and more and more. If I find myself with a break in the action, I feel like I need to fill it. Know what I mean?
Loving what you do so much that it gets you out of bed in the morning and keeps you going all day may be a good motivator, but it also can be exhausting after awhile. The little hamster wheel in my head churning out ideas and potential connections needs to stop every once in awhile and take a breather.
So what to do about this? I’m glad you asked.
You all know I use a paper planner to schedule my week; every Sunday I do a “brain dump” to list every little thing that needs to get done and when. I love my #solplanner because it has helped me stay organized going on three years now.
So I decided that I am going to schedule in time for non-work activities. I believe it’s called “white space” and it helps you visually know when to take a break and do something not related to work. It gives you permission to take that break for yourself. (Does anyone else think it’s a little sad that we need permission to take care of ourselves? That’s a topic for another day.)
Grabbing one of my favorite oils like Balance or Wild Orange and putting them in the diffuser or just in my hands and sniffing, helps me unwind and relax. One thing I am working on this month is improving my nutrition and eating habits-I know it’s a crazy time of year to do this with all the holiday treats around but I love a challenge. Part of this process is moving more and that is something I REALLY need to improve. So I am scheduling in time for walks (Jake and Pepper are happy about that) to make sure it gets done. The colder weather makes it more interesting-have I mentioned I love a challenge?
I also made the monumental decision to not “work” on Sundays. Period.
This has been a little tough because I have been participating in vendor events which typically happen on Saturdays. I usually connect with people during these events that I want to follow up with and I’m so excited about it that I want to jump in the next day and keep that momentum going. But I have found that I do a better job of connecting with people after my brain has a chance to “percolate” over the information and find ways to continue collaborating moving forward. So I practice patience (thanks Dad) and schedule my follow-ups a few days later.
Having that one day off completely has been helpful to make me more focused and productive in the long run and that is so worth it. Using the time to focus on family and home is grounding.
So how do you rest and reset? Do you need to schedule that time or does it come naturally to you?
If you would like to learn how to rest, I would love to help you! Essential oils are just one tool to use in this way because they affect our mood and emotions. Let me help you learn which ones would be most helpful for you. Reach out to me via email at midlifewithcourage@gmail.com and let’s talk.
Take care of your beautiful self!
~Kim