Stress Management: The Power of a Day
I learned a valuable lesson recently. A short while ago, my
mentor coach made this powerful request of me. She asked me to
book 24 hours to myself within the next 30 days and to email her
when I had booked this day. During this day (which she referred
to as “Karen Day”) I was not to do any work of any kind. It was
to be 24 hours for myself and whatever I felt like doing. If I
felt like sleeping in, going for a walk, watching TV, or taking a
hot bath, that was exactly what I would do. I also had to
monitor my “I shoulds”. You know the ones: “I should be
working”, “I should be marketing”, “I should respond to my email
and voice messages”.
Why did she request I schedule a “Karen Day”? Because I was
trying to give to too many people both professionally and
personally and the result was I ended up catching a cold, which
developed into a sinus infection.
So, I was to schedule this “Karen Day”. When would I have time
for this? The truth was it wasn’t that there wasn’t enough time,
it was that I felt guilty about taking this time for myself when
“I should” be doing something else.
As career practitioners and helping professionals, we are very
good at giving our time and energy to others, but we are not so
good about freely giving that time to ourselves. However, the
lesson I learned is that the key to being able to give to others
is to take time for ourselves to rejuvenate our energy.
I finally scheduled the day on
day 27 of my 30-day deadline. It
was an extraordinary day! I had gone into the day with the
intention of keeping my commitment to myself and doing whatever I
felt like doing. It worked because afterwards I found I felt
more relaxed, clear-minded, energized, and joyful.
My request of you then is to schedule your “Me Day” within the
next 30 days. Here are some tips to help you:
1. Put your “Me Day” into your schedule.
2. Keep your commitment
3. Set your intention on that day
4. Let go of your “I shoulds” for the day
And most importantly, have an extraordinary day!
I can already hear your objections: “I’m too busy for that”, “I
don’t have time for that”, “This is not a good time”, and on and
on. The fact is, there will never be a good time and there will
never be a time that isn’t busy. You make a choice to put
yourself first for 24 hours.
If you would like help from a comprehensive life and career coach
to incorporate self care into your busy day and balance into your
life without compromising your time, please call Karen Cross at
(250) 714-0996 and get a free copy of her “14 Simple Strategies
You Need to Know to Revitalize Your Energy” special report.
About the Author
Karen Cross is a life and career coach and founder of Pathfinder Solutions. For 10 years she has been coaching individuals in the areas of personal and career transitions, self-care, creating balance, and finding greater passion in work and life.
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