Time to Be Well: Transforming Your Relationship with Time

Be Well.
As a society, in general, we are overwhelmed, overworked, and burned out; we are stress-overfed, dehydrated and sleep deprived. “Be Well”: two little words that can create so much pressure. 

The biggest mistake that I have seen people make, was approaching self-care like another thing that needs to be done, another thing to plan; another thing to add to the calendar. They would collapse on a chair at my office, exhaustion literally dripping off their fingertips and they would say:
“I am here because I need to take care of myself” or
“...I need to eat better” or
“... I need to lose weight”.
Another thing to do.
Another thing to tackle.
Gets tiring just writing about it.

And the most revolutionary thing they would hear during our conversation was “And what are the things that can go, in order for you to make room for self-care?”. 

…

And then, as a health provider, I would get the facial expression that I cherished so much: “SHE WANTS ME TO DO LESS.” The idea of doing less or even considering doing less is still revolutionary, but it is gaining traction (#slowdownlife; #slowerpaceoflife). The idea of slowing the hampster-wheel down may feel far-reaching or even downward-scary, as many of us simply don’t know a different life, but maybe it is worth trying?... After all, what do we have to lose?
Burnout?
Exhaustion?
Overwhelm? 

There are many ways in which slowing down can be implemented (without ruining your life - don’t worry), and I want to invite you to consider a few of them. They are all built around mindful planning, guarding your time, and above all - avoiding distractions.

Chances are, that every day you enter your work you have at least a vague idea of what you are going to do: finishing a project by 11.00 am deadline. Meeting with the boss at 11.30 am. But first, sending out that annoying email to get it out of the way.
When it comes to the afternoon, however, most of us have no idea what we are going to do, to eat, how we are going to rest or entertain ourselves: we fall victim to takeout boxes and social media algorithms. But un-curated social media, click-baits, ever-scrolling randomness are like junk food for the mind.
Draining.
Addictive.
Our devices are like shopping mall eateries for our brains: big, noisy, shiny, and flashy with not much to feed on. In the evening we may passively top it off with a glass of wine and whatever streaming service ‘thinks’ we will like.
I want to invite you to plan your afternoon, the way you plan your work day. It may sound like “another thing to do” but being in charge of your afternoon and making these decisions will give you a fair shot when it comes to your rest and your rejuvenation time. Trust me, you will end up doing less, because you will be no longer riding an algorithm wave tossing you and turning you in a million directions at the speed of “Likes”.
You block the time for a walk.
You decide to listen to a podcast that will inspire you.
You are going to watch a movie that will make you laugh.
You are going to check this book that a friend recommended, and promised that it was worth your time.
Or, in other words - you will take control of your time.

And I want to invite you to guard and protect your time.
Time is the most valuable resource we have. It’s not money.
It’s time.
So, if something comes up or gets proposed ask yourself:
“Is this proposition worth my time?” and
“Is it something that I truly want to do?”
“Is it something that will nourish me and/or is better than what I already had planned?”
Proceed accordingly.  Saying “No.” can be difficult but it can be soooo liberating. Try it 🙂. 

Many of us have yearly evaluations at work. It is a concept worth transferring into our personal lives. Do your life-check at least once a year. We may feel exhausted and burned out not only when we live in a total frenzy, but also when we overwork one area of our life (for example work or school on top of a job) and completely neglect another area of our life (for example friends or self-care). You can use the traditional Wheel of Life (google it) or go to Opt-in, and get a modified wheel of life with the Eat Be Stay Well twist 🙂
Getting a bird’s-eye-view of your life may give you insights and perspective that will inspire you to tweak a thing or two.
Explore them.
Block plenty of time to reflect.
Be gentle with yourself through this process.
And be well. Because this is your life and this is your right.