3 Tips To Increase Your Down Time
It seems that ‘down time’, rest, recovery, and relaxation have become a distant memory… that is, if you ever experienced it in the first place!
I mean seriously, what gives ladies? Have we lost our minds? If you haven't already, you might be on your way!
And worse yet, we ladies literally believe (in full or in part) that being busy, stressed and exhausted to the point of mental and emotional collapse proves one's value, worth or importance. Which is a key reason women put themselves through the ringer.
"Women have birthed some really crappy habits out of really good intentions."
It’s time to recognize the dire importance of down time. Embracing rest, recovery and getting pleasure out of life is not a frickin’ crime, it is your birthright. Here are your 3 ways to get more down time!
1) Down Time Priorities. "Consider this: ‘if I had one month to live, how would I spend it?"
There are only a small, but precious number of things, people, actions, or decision that TRULY give you extreme, heart-glowing joy, inspiration or a sense of deep meaning, fulfillment and purpose.
"Consider this: ‘if I had one month to live, how would I spend it?"
Your responses to this question should become your priorities for your down time. The vast majority of your life moving forward, should be dedicated to THIS list, self-care or to resting and relaxing! Why? Because it’s most valuable to you and you deserve to be happy!
We honestly have no idea when a loved one will 'punch their last ticket'. You can live life on your terms now, and create more space for what brings you joy, or regret not doing so later.
PLEASE, don’t be tempted to think it is impossible to live like this. I do. My hubby does. And many, many, many of my past and present clients do as well. Life can be a gorgeous journey, don’t miss it.
If you’d like a detailed system for removing what you no longer want in your life, and magnify what you REALLY do want – check out Liberate My Life’s newest training course: Liberated Living Essentials. It will rock your world in profoundly joyful and meaningful ways!
2) Say No. Seems like a no brainer, right? After all, it’s just one tiny syllable…
We hear it echoed ALL the time!
N----O.... What the h*** is so scary about that?
A lot actually!
Oddly, my clients (or anyone really!) find this tiny word to be incredibly difficult to spew forth. We strong, bold, courageous, ‘can-do-anything’ women are unfortunately also afraid to disappoint, lose approval, get fired, or lose respect.
Yet, the consequences of saying 'yes' too often are damaging. To continue saying “yes” to so many demands and requests, LITERALLY means saying no to you, your family, your purpose-filled actions and your down time.
It's time to practice flexing that 'NO' muscle, and making it super hero strong! Saying no is a boundary. One of several types of necessary boundaries (especially if you're a perfectionist).
I encourage my clients to begin saying no to everything. NO, really, begin saying NO first to every request! You can always change your mind later.
The perceived need for approval and validation, or fear of losing approval can be tempting and strong. But, these driving factors no longer need to be a part of your life. Saying YES to things NOT on your down time priority list ultimately means saying NO to something that IS actually valuable, heart-centered or important.
3) Eliminate With The 80/20 Rule. It is as real as gravity and applies to all aspects of life and business.
This next tip will make saying “no” a whole lot easier! The 80/20 principle says that only 20% of anything (sales, relationship connection, leadership tools, profits, to dos, anything!) accounts for 80% of that 'thing's' results. Meaning… you can literally remove 80 percent of all activities, responsibilities, possessions, friends, interactions, thoughts, feelings, and so on, if you choose to, and you WILL be far happier, more successful and more purpose-filled!
If you don’t know what the 80/20 rule is, PLEASE learn about it. It is as real as gravity and applies to all aspects of life and business. Here is a great book, Living The 80/20 Way. It has changed my life and it can change yours too.
Here are a few examples of elimination by using the 80/20 principle:
* Fact- you use, wear or enjoy just 20% of your possessions - thus, you could get rid of the rest. Yes, that does literally equate to ditching 80% of your belongings, downsizing your home, etc. Since you don’t use it / them anyway.
* Fact- only 20% of the food you consume is truly serves your brain or body; feel free to get rid of the rest! This action too will save you time as you meal plan. Plus, eating more nutritious foods will give you tons more energy, making your down time filled with even more inspiration!
*Fact- only 20% of your work duties are truly useful, impacting, profit-building or inspiring; thus, you can delegate, eliminate or systematize the other 80%. Obviously, you can save a great deal of time and energy on this one.
Hopefully you’re getting the picture. Applying the 80/20 rule is fantastic. As is any way you can think of to eliminate, delegate or systematize pieces of your life.
I want to encourage you to choose wisely and joyfully regarding where you spend your time and energy. Life is precious and brief. Really, isn’t life too damn short to live inside of a state of frenzied overwhelm? Upset? Resentment? Stress? Anxiety? Or whatever else keeps you feeling yucky? Living free is your birthright and available upon choosing.
Increasing your downtime won’t be easy. I know that. But these tips are designed to help you get started down that path. Interested in gaining support along your journey? Be sure to check out my upcoming 6-week Freedom From Chaos Telecourse!
The Freedom From Chaos course is a 6-week telecourse designed to help you find freedom from your chaotic life. The course will teach you to find clarity in your hectic life, remove the roadblocks to progress and truly commit to liberated living through structured course content and weekly calls with me, your coach! Interested in learning more?
About Shawn
Dr. Haywood believes in limitless possibility and cultivation of expanding human potential with each extraordinary client, group and team experience. While at the same time, stripping away confusion, obscurity, and obstacles in order to arrive at powerful and useful direction and solutions.
Our philosophy stems from the idea that all things and people are connected, impacting, dynamic and malleable. Our formula for defining, carving a path to, and ensuring success applies to life-fulfillment, business strategy, and even marriage strategy. Our coaching methodology can be replicated by clients in various aspects of his or her life. We find this to be a practical and effective method of problem solving, re-direction, result-orientation, and elegant solution discovery.
Tactically, clarity, simple systems, focus, discipline, and ease are the roots of our coaching implementation, and serve as an effective toolbox for seeking calm, fulfillment, and forward movement. Shawn and her team work with people to strip away that which is not working or causing problems, while simultaneously facilitating the most thrilling expression of liberated living, working, connecting, teaming, and value and cultural development and adherence!
