I'm so tired. It's been a busy week. I need a vacation.
Ever say this to yourself? On a monthly, weekly, or possibly daily basis?
We spend so much time bustling about that sometimes we don't realize how tired we are until we crash. I'm a high-energy extrovert, but that doesn't mean that I don't need downtime. A colleague asked my husband once, "is she that energetic at home" and my husband responded, "oh no, she crashes at home!" You see, home is my safe place. The place to retreat. To lie down, watch television, read, or just nap. It's where I re-energize and I realize as I get older (and hopefully wiser) that I need to just be still to do that.
We are in a busy, hustle-bound season of the year. We moved into the holiday season with Thanksgiving and now Christmas in a month. In our culture, if we are not busy then we are not productive. The Bible states the opposite and says that we need rest both physically and spiritually.
Matthew 11:28 states, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."
I love what the website - In Bloom - states about how to counteract the hustle mode. (https://inbloomproject.com/blog-2/5-tips-to-pause-hustle-mode-and-slow-down)
1. NOTICE WHEN YOU’RE INSPIRED BY HUSTLE CULTURE When you’re scrolling through Instagram or reading books for personal growth, notice if you feel inspired by someone’s hustle. It’s obviously not a bad thing to be inspired by other people working hard. But you also need to be smart about your strategy. It’s important to do things with intention, not just because you think they should be on your to-do list. Think about ways you could find a better balance between action and relaxation.
2. CHECK YOURSELF WHEN YOU THINK “I NEED TO DO MORE” Where does this thought come from? Are you trying to prove something to someone? Realize that you don’t need to do EVERYTHING. You’re already doing enough. If you can train your mind to stop thinking you need to do more, you won’t feel as overwhelmed.
3. ADJUST YOUR DAILY ROUTINES Create space in your day that separates your workday from personal time. Do something for yourself in the morning before jumping into emails first thing. At the end of the day, do something that signals it’s time to let go of work (take a bath, go for a walk, etc) and try not to do any work after that.
4. SCHEDULE IN BLANK TIME Add a blank time block to your schedule at least once a week (better yet, once a day). You don’t have to include any particular tasks or plan it out to a T. Block it off and know that it’s your time to spend doing anything but work. Something that’s been helping me is taking a weekly tech detox every Sunday. On these days, I no longer check emails or do anything work-related, which has given me some much-needed balance in my life.
5. JOURNAL IT OUT To better understand your relationship with hustle mode, you may need to dig deeper into your mindset around self-worth and productivity. Here are some journal prompts to write about: What about being productive makes you feel good? How do you feel if you’re not being productive?
Who inspires you in the business/work world? What type of lifestyle do they lead?
What would your ideal work-life balance look like?
Do you feel like you need to DO something to be worthy? How are you worthy outside of work? How are you valuable in this world beyond your work?
Be wary of hustle and bustle this holiday season. Practice self-care. Give yourself a timeout as you will be better for yourself and others if you do.
What She Said - Beverly
Such a good reminder, wish I had learned this at a much younger age!