Curious about what might be moving you closer or further away from the life you desire? I've been doing a deep evaluation of what is helping me get more traction and thrive and what is distracting and pulls me away from the life I desire.
For large portions of 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had been doing more and more remote wellness sessions. Other factors were also emerging and prompting me to step back from in-person work. So a few months ago, for the first time in 15+ years, I closed my physical office and transitioned to working from home. There have been many benefits to working from home, no commute or office overhead to name a few. There have been, however, many challenges as well. Even when my daughter finally returned to in-person school, I still found myself wondering where my day had gone...especially since a large portion of my time and energy was no longer focused on attending to her care. I wondered "why do I feel like I'm not getting things done?...why am I still finding myself doing work stuff after she is in bed"? (The latter of which definitely wasn't great for my sleep hygiene.) I decided to get curious and pay closer attention to my daily habits. What did I discover? My time wasn't reflecting my priorities/values and there were A LOT of external triggers/distractions. After dropping my daughter off at school, I'd come home and be distracted by clutter. During virtual school and throughout the pandemic, my kiddo's stuff gradually dominated the house. The guest room (which also serves as a cut through room in our home) was a toy obstacle course. It is also one of the rooms that you see the moment you walk in our house. So what was I faced with shortly after I entered my home and often navigated throughout the day? ALL THIS CLUTTER, ugh! I felt smothered by all the stuff and as you may know, our external and internal worlds can be reflections of one another and so I (consciously and unconsciously) did my best to keep other rooms clean and clutter-free to not feel so overwhelmed. (I had given up on the guest room as I would straighten it up just to have it return to a chaotic mess shortly after she returned home.) But that often meant I felt compelled to do the dishes and other "priority" tasks like working out and work got pushed to the side or delayed...and then I was eating breakfast late and sometimes would get hangry. Walking to my home office I'd see laundry or other stuff and end up putting it away, again instead of doing other "priority" tasks...and then I'd find some other thing to address in another room, etc. Constantly checking my phone and email was also a huge distractor. By the time school was out, I found myself tired and frustrated wondering why I didn't get the things done I wanted to especially on days I didn't have (any or many) client sessions or consulting meetings. Once I recognized these distractors (and a few others, such as late night Netflix binging) that were hijacking my attention, time and energy I knew something had to change...this COULD NOT continue. So what are some of my core values? - Being healthy in body, mind and spirit - Spending quality time with my loved ones & close friends - Having a home that feels safe, spacious and inviting - is clean, organized/free of clutter - Doing work that is meaningful to me and has a positive impact What has shifted/been supportive in coming into greater alignment with my core values? - Blocking my time/having a schedule - at the very least for the start and end of my day to set a strong foundation/positive mindset & energy and prepare for restorative sleep. - Doing my best to ignore any household clutter and prioritize my a.m. wellness routine (walking, body rolling/stretching while listening to meditation and eating a healthy breakfast). - Turning off screens and having board game/reading time with my daughter (family) before her bedtime. - Spending some time connecting with my husband after kiddo is in bed. (Even if it means leaving the remainder of the kitchen clean up for later or even the next morning.) Also letting each other know when we are breaking for lunch so we can have mid-day kid-free connection time if possible. - Posting a list of duties for my kiddo. (One of my daughter's bedtime tasks is to pick up her things around the house and take them to her bedroom. This helps there be less clutter/potential distractors.) - Donating old toys, moving almost all kid stuff into daughter's bedroom. The (guest) room, which felt like my nemesis for way too long, is now an inviting, relaxing space for all of us to enjoy. My kiddo even created a reading nook!! :) - Moving non-essential apps (such as Facebook, Messenger, etc) off of my phone home page and turning off sound notifications. (For emergencies people either call or text me. Instant notifications on these other apps are not critical.) While writing this article, not only did I close out computer tabs but I also silenced and put my phone away. Sharing this information with you was really important to me and I did not want to be distracted and have it put on the back burner. It can be incredibly supportive to do focused/time blocked work. I find 1.5 - 2 hours is a really good length of time to turn off (and hide) all distractions. (Did you know that even having your phone silenced but within your line of sight can serve as a distractor? Out of sight, out of mind. So I invite you to put your phone away during focused work time.) This time block allows me to really sink into the project and concentrate but also is a short enough time that I don't feel guilty about being unavailable. Modern technology can be a blessing and a curse. Just because we can be instantly accessible doesn't mean we should be all the time. As far as those household tasks? I have discovered that doing things like the dishes, laundry, etc makes a nice physical break after sitting doing computer work and client sessions. Making these shifts has been very supportive for me, my loved ones and household. I hope that reading this has helped to spark insight for you. I invite you to reflect on: what do you value? Do your actions and mindset reflect those values? What can you say "no" to? Are there ways you can rearrange your schedule, home, etc to create more spaciousness and joy? Would it be supportive to gain clarity around what are the distractors in your life and what would help you get more traction and thrive? Would it be beneficial to bring your system and life into greater balance? Contact me to learn more about how I might be able to support you in living the life you desire :)
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Hi! I'm Heather Rizzo, a.k.a The Body Whisperer. I hope you enjoy reading my insights and tips on how to be your most vibrant self! Archives
October 2023
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