Without Losing Sleep
Welcome to the constant curveball called life! With all the responsibilities on your shoulders, you can expect to have some challenges.
Balancing personal and professional responsibilities can be difficult. You probably feel like the only way to get everything done is to sacrifice sleep. But nothing could be further from the truth!
The good news is you can get everything done and still enjoy plenty of rest.
Try these tips to better balance your responsibilities, with time to spare:
1. Dedicate personal and professional time. It's important to set boundaries between personal and professional time. This is the first step in being able to balance both areas of your life. Split your day accordingly and stick to the separation. I really love the #timeblocking technique to be sure you are setting yourself up for success here.
* Professional time doesn't have to mean hours at the office. There may be a presentation you're preparing for tomorrow's board meeting. If tonight's the prep night, get it done!
* How you use your time slots is up to you. Just avoid allowing the other aspects of life to take over. It's also vital we don't overschedule ourselves!! You know all those things you are asked to do? Just remember, you are allowed to say "yes" and "no" according to your preferences and choices.
* It may sometimes be hard to stick to the separation, but the key to oth
ers respecting your boundaries is you respecting them first!
2. Prioritize responsibilities. Now that you have a better understanding of how to set boundaries, focus on prioritizing. How you spend your time is dependent on what's most important to you.
* One of the things the most successful people do is to conquer the hard stuff FIRST. If you're always addressing urgent matters, the important ones may constantly get overlooked.
Urgency is not always equal to importance. Handle the important things on your list first. When other things pop up, add them to the bottom of your list. Avoid getting distracted by keeping on task, knowing you will get to the thing when you get to that area of your list. Of course, your list can be flexible if something needs to move up in its level of importance. But don't allow other's lack of planning, or assistance to throw you into a stressful response.
* Try planning your week in advance. Sure, there may be times when the plan is interrupted. But having a plan goes a long way in keeping you ahead of the game.
3. Keep responsibilities in perspective. Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. It's okay to leave some things for tomorrow. As a high achiever, you always want to show your superpowers. But you may actually paint a better picture by showing composure. This happens when we keep ourselves accountable for our own stuff, and hold others accountable for theirs. A lack of planning on their part does not shift your schedule and your planning.
* It's better to do fewer things well, than more things poorly. This approach shows organization, confidence, and aptitude. Those who rely on you are usually impressed by those traits!
* Take turns with your spouse making meals, preparing lunches, taking kids to doctor appointments, bath time, and putting the kids to bed. You may feel more like a parent if you do it all the time, but you're already a great parent! You don't prove your worthiness, or your love by doing "all the things". Instead, you are setting your children up to expect that from themselves. As parents, we are teaching them by our example much more than we ever will by our words.
4. Sleep when it's bedtime. It's actually easier than you think to get sleep! All it takes for a good night's sleep is the same amount of commitment you give to your other responsibilities.
* After all you've accomplished in a day, it must be easy to dedicate eight hours to downtime. It's a. foundation for a healthy life, body, and mind!
* Practice meditation techniques to relax before bedtime. If you're not careful, you'll spend the first three hours of bedtime planning tomorrow's activities! Keep a notepad by your bed to jot down any thoughts you don't want to forget tomorrow. But then leave them there.
* When you're rested, you'll have the mental and physical energy to take on your day, and do so in a productive, meaningful way.
Try to remember that without adequate rest, you may end up being ineffective at your responsibilities. Rest promotes concentration and gives you the energy to keep going. Without rest, you may end up falling behind.
Practice these balancing techniques, maintain a regular sleep schedule, and respect your sleep like you would any other commitments. Sleep is the foundation of wellness!
If you've struggled with sleep, you can enroll in my Sacred Slumber program. Signup here.