TAKE SOME TIMEOUT!!

“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted”.

John Lennon

During the remaining weeks in December if you are celebrating during the festive season, there are lots to do before the Christmas approaches, whether its meeting those project deadlines, getting presents for friends and family, ordering that turkey or giving some of your time to charity.

Juggling personal and professional commitments can become quite intense and stressful, you might find it harder to take timeout for you, from your usual day to day routine. I would like to share with you three simple steps that I use:

1.     Ask for help or delegate

If you are struggling to manage your busy day to day commitments don’t be afraid to ask family, friends and colleagues to do things for you. At first you might feel embarrassed, but you’ll not only have more time, you’ll also feel less resentful of others leaving everything to you. Sharing burden helps others to see what you have to cope with and appreciate you more.

2.     Don’t be afraid to say no

If you already have too much to do don’t be afraid to say no. You have to manage your commitments efficiently to produce a quality outcome. Cut out activities that drain your energy and time, and does not give you any added value or positive return.

3.     Take Time for you

Remember to take time to do some of the things you enjoy, this helps you to keep motivated when doing things for others. The more caring and giving a person you are the guiltier you might feel for taking timeout.  Some “Me Time” will give you time to de-stress, unwind and rejuvenate your body and mind. Do something you enjoy like watching your favorite film, going for a walk, reading a book or listening to music.

“Me Time” is not something you should feel guilty about. It’s nothing more than taking some time to indulge yourself doing something that you enjoy. It gives you an opportunity to relax, refocus and recharge. And when you do that, you can come back to your responsibilities with greater focus, commitment and enjoyment.

“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it”.

M. Scott Peck