How often does it feel like there is never enough time in your day? Or as though you are running around like the proverbial headless chicken?
When you are an In Demand Women, time is both your biggest asset and can also feel like your nemesis. The race to get everything done “on time” seems never ending. You constantly feel pulled in many directions at once and even on days when you check off your entire “to do” list, it still can feel like the amount of tasks, responsibilities and demands are overwhelming.
We want to help you find calm and peace in your life so that you can focus your time, gain back your energy and feel like each day is a success rather than an endless race that constantly leaves you breathless.
We will be sharing our best SASSY LIFE HACKS to manage your time so you feel more in control and gain back more minutes and hours in your day for YOU!
Let’s start by talking about breathing. This sounds so simple…almost TOO simple.
“I breathe all day long…involuntarily! How can this possibly help me with my time management?”
We are going to break it down for you with 3 easy tips.
FOCUSED BREATHING
Focused breathing calms your mind, body and soul. When we feel stress, our bodies go into “fight, flight or freeze” mode. This increased stress has harmful effects on the body such as releasing more cortisol in our bodies, increasing anxiety and even compromising your immune system. When you take time to slow down and implement focused breath work, it allows the body and mind to find peace and calm and complete the stress cycle. By initiating relaxation with breath work, you are able to concentrate and prioritize the demands on your life [1].
SCHEDULE TIME TO BREATHE
Sometimes you have to schedule time to breathe…and that’s OK! Have you ever had a day where it’s 10:30 PM and you think, “where did that day go?” Probably happens more often than you would care to admit! That’s why scheduling breaks becomes increasingly important. If you can schedule 3 times each day where you stop for a 5 minute breathing session, you will increase your productivity and make better use of your time. Set a reminder alarm on your phone and don’t ignore it! When it rings, stop what you are doing, close your eyes, slow your breath and feel your body relax. When the time is up, refocus your efforts, check in on your priorities and continue with your day.
GUIDED MEDITATION
Guided meditation is a great technique that compliments a healthy lifestyle. This is often a longer session than your daily 5-minute breaks, so plan this in your weekly schedule 1-2 times per week if possible (or more!). Some benefits of meditation practice include: reduced stress, lengthens attention span, enhances self-awareness, promotes kindness, etc [2]. There are many free resources for guided meditation. Some that we like are apps such as Headspace or Calm. You can also find podcasts and YouTube channels for this exact purpose. Guided meditations can be generic or also specific topics, so do a little research and see what you like best!
By starting a practice of intentional breathing throughout your day, you will be able to focus your mind, calm your body and feel more confident as you move through your In Demand day. We want to help you re-frame your perspective on your day so that time is not your enemy, but an area that you have 100% control over.
Please share with us your favorite breath work or guided meditation practice!
References:
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation#section7
