Take a Time Out
Photo by Sime Basioli on Unsplash
Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
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PROJECT OF THE WEEK
The Value of Taking a Time Out
It's Tuesday morning. We’re headed back into the office after a long Memorial Day weekend spent enjoying downtime with family and friends. You had a good night's sleep, the kids got off to school smoothly, and your work day is off to a strong start.
Suddenly, an email from a client pops into your inbox. The message stops you in your tracks. Your smooth, productive day feels long gone (cue wah, wah noise).
We have all been there!
It's much simpler to practice strategies that improve productivity when everything is going as planned. So, lets focus today on what happens when your day get's turned upside-down.
It could be an email from a client.
It could be negative feedback from your boss.
It could be a co-worker throwing you under the bus, to protect themselves.
In this situation, our first instinct is usually to respond and resolve whatever it is right away. The other option is to jump right back into what we were doing and respond to it later.
Getting Started
When a situation arises that tends to throw us off our game, it usually makes your mind start racing and often your heart rate too! Rather than fire off an email that will likely come back to haunt you or ignoring the situation all together, here’s an opportunity to "Take a Time Out."
I tell my clients, it's usually best to not respond right away. Taking a little time, often 24 to 48 hours, to think about how you want to reply, will give you time to formulate a thoughtful and smart response. I once had a mentor tell me “time is a tool” and we should use that tool like any other in our arsenal of tactics.
However, we also don’t want to leave the sender wondering if their message was received. Take a few moments to send a quick response. Thank them for reaching out and sharing their thoughts and let them know you are going to take a day or two to review and follow-up.
Below is a sample response:
"Thank you for your perspective and feedback. I will keep this in mind as I plan next steps to move forward. I am going to take a day or two to review options and get back to you ”
You may want to read, "Is Overthinking Your Superpower", to learn more about the value of taking some time to think through what decision is really best.
On the flip side, attempting to jump right back into what you were previously working on, will likely not turn out the way you hope.
You will likely find it hard to concentrate, which translates to not being as effective with your time and not producing the quality of work you are capable of.
It also will not help your mind settle down.
Here is another opportunity to “Take a Time Out"
Grab a piece of paper and a pen and take 10-15 minutes to write down all the thoughts swirling around in your head. Don't worry about how dumb they sound. You can shred this after. The goal is to get your thoughts on paper, so your brain can calm down.
By taking this time, you will bounce back quicker and have a much calmer, more centered day.
After finishing the writing exercise, check your calendar to see if you have 15-20 minutes to take a walk. Getting in some movement will further support you in reclaiming your day and formulating the best solution.
It's ok if you don't have time for the walk, but I highly recommend you make time for the Writing Exercise. You will get this time back 10 fold.
We would love to hear how this strategy works for you!
Ready to Get Started?
If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning Starter Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.