Have you ever gotten so busy that you forgot to take a break? To stand up?
It’s been said that sitting is the new smoking. By sitting around for too long, you increase the risks of health issues such as increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity, and even cancer.
People around the world celebrated May 1st as May Day, or International Labor Day, and hearkens back to a time in the late 19th century when labor unions fought to limit workers’ hours to an eight-hour shift. A struggle that many still deal with today.
I have long tended to work long hours without taking many breaks.
Lately, I’ve been feeling that in my lower back. It’s really been a painful reminder that there is only so much I can do in a day.
It’s also a reminder that I need to be mindful of how I approach the day. Am I taking time to stretch? Am I making time to go for a walk? Am I pursuing not only financial prosperity but a more well-rounded prosperity that includes an abundance of time and energy?
There are only so many hours in the day. There are also many demands on that time. It often seemed to me that the demands outweigh the available hours.
As I like to ask, is there another way to look this, so that I see the abundance rather than the lack? Can I get both the work completed I want to get done AND make time for my well-being?
It’s funny how pain can awaken us to things we’ve often overlooked. In the past, I often fell prey to first seeing what I have on my to-do list – more to write, more to schedule, more work to do. Then if I feel like I have enough time, I can practice more self-care. Do my morning yoga, go for a run, and take a break.
With a sore back, though, I’ve taken another look. It’s been too painful for me to keep pushing away at my work pile. I’ve found myself seeking ways to prioritize stretching, and taking breaks. Before my back breaks.
I am finding there really is time to do both. There is time to work. There is time to play. There is time to give yourself much-needed, and deserved care. Living a prosperous life can be energizing rather than wearing. If you put things in their proper order.
Be sure to check out this week’s resource: Enough Already: 11 Ways You Can Lighten Your Schedule
Shine brightly!
Stef
(xe/xem)
Golden Nuggets
Golden Resource: Enough Already: 11 Ways You Can Lighten Your Schedule (Download PDF)
Golden Word: recuperate from Latin recuperare “to get again,” Example: After prioritizing her self-care, her finances saw a dramatic upswing.
Golden Quote: Solitude is where I place my chaos to rest and awaken my inner peace. – Nikki Rowe
Golden Speech: How to Love Yourself to the Core | Jen Oliver is the author of the International best selling book, The Love FitMama Way, and creator of the FitMama Podcast. (Clip 22s)
Golden Statistic: The percentage of employed Americans reporting that they “never had enough time” rose from 70% in 2011 to 80% in 2018. (Harvard)
Golden Term: time poverty is the subjective experience of having too much to do and not enough time in the day to do it (Women’s Health)
Golden Tip: Schedule time for self-care first thing in the day and identify it as a business essential.
Golden Question: When do you have time on your schedule for self-care?