“It might be a kind of relief to be finished. It’s sort of like you don’t know what kind of yard dash you’re running, but then you’re at the finish line and you sort of sigh – you’ve made it! But you never have – you have to start all over again.”
Marilyn Monroe
Personal photo as I strolled from Bondi to Bronte
‘I just need time to breathe’ said a client to me yesterday after he had spent 20 minutes describing all the things he wanted to complete before Christmas. There is always a bit of a mad rush this time of year, in Australia as not much work gets done in January, there is always extra pressure in November and December to work especially hard. I am also noticing in conversations with colleagues and clients that the precariousness of the world economy has shifted this pressure up a notch. Regular readers know that looking after their wellbeing is especially critical when you feel you ‘don’t have the time for it’. Taking time to breathe can involve:
Reaffirming boundaries (Click here for my past blog)
Reclaiming your lunch break (Click here for my past blog)
Eating and sleeping well (Click here for my past blog)
Inserting a pause in your day (Click here for my past blog)
Regular Exercise (Click here for my past blog)
Connecting with nature (Click here for my past blog)
Experiencing Leisure (Click here for my past blog)
Simply sitting and breathing. Thank you to the reader who shared the Deep Breathing Exercises Relax by Rehegoo app with me. (Click here for the app)
When I next meet with my client it will be interesting to see how committed he has been to a few simple changes to his work routine around firm work life boundaries and taking time daily to sit under a tree and ‘breathe’.
"Watching in slow motion As you turn around and say Take my breath away Take my breath away"
Take My Breath Away By Berlin (click here for the song)
As you give yourself time to figuratively breathe over the next week, notice how your productivity, accuracy, creativity and general enjoyment of life increases. So email me and tell me “How are you going to “make hay while the sun shines” and bring some breathing time into your busy life?”