A few days ago, we covered how feeling BUSY is an option.
A choice.
And one that is so easy to make.
Because it seems to be expected of us.
Celebrated even.
BUSY is like a badge of honor in our society.
But what if you’re tired of feeling busy all the time?
Tired of feeling the stress, overwhelm, anxiety or exhaustion that BUSY creates?
It doesn’t have to be this way!
What would you rather feel instead?
✅ Ease?
✅Peace?
✅ Balance?
If you want to create feelings of peace, ease or balance in your life, here’s how…
- Start by understanding that you have complete control of your time.
- And that you make time for everything that is important to you.
- And then you put your brain to work finding evidence that it’s true.
- Because it is.
- Sometimes you just have to look hard for it at first.
You control your time because you choose how you spend every minute of your day.
YOU choose:
- To make breakfast for your kids before school
- (or choose to teach them how to make their own breakfast).
- To drive them to school, or to have them take the bus or get a ride with friends.
- To go to work every day
- How much time to spend with patients.
- How much you document in patient charts.
- How you deal with emails, messages and lab results.
- Whether you take a lunch break or work through lunch.
- Whether you make every single school event or sporting event for your kids or whether we show up when you can.
- (Then you choose whether you are going to feel guilty about it or not.)
- Whether or not you make time for date nights with your partner.
- Whether you prioritize sleep, exercise, healthy eating.
- How you manage your stress.
- Whether you finish your work at work or to take it home to finish.
- And whether or not you emotionally take your work home with you, too.
Whether you are making these choices consciously or not—make no doubt about it—you ARE making these choices.
You choose whether you accept yet another uncompensated committee assignment, task, or role at work.
Whether you take on volunteer tasks at school or for your kids’ extra-curricular activities.
But you also have the option of choosing NOT to do any of these things.
For every “YES” you agree to, you are saying “NO” to something else.
And for busy physician moms, that usually means another NO to yourself.
- NO to getting the sleep you need.
- NO to getting the exercise or meditation or other self-care time you need.
- NO to the free time or white space you need in your days to recharge your battery.
What will you choose?
Remember—you can change your relationship with time (or with anything/anyone for that matter) –change how you FEEL about time– by changing your THOUGHTS about it.
Realize that YOU are in complete control.
Of your actions.
Your feelings.
And the thoughts that drive those feelings.
You can feel powerless.
Or powerful.
You decide.
Here are some powerful thoughts that will help you create the experience of peace, ease and balance in your life:
- I always choose what I do with my time
- I make time for everything that is important to me
- I choose to make myself a priority so I have more to give others
- I’ve got this under control
- I can do hard things
- I can figure this out—I got this!
- I’m doing my best and that’s enough
- I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, at the exact right time.
Which of these feels true for you?
Which ones make you feel peace, ease or balance?
What other thoughts help you feel this way?
Write them down.
Practice reminding yourself daily.
You DO have control.
✅ Control of your actions.
✅ Control of your thoughts.
✅ Control of your feelings.
✅ And control of your time.
When you practice these thoughts
You will start to find more and more evidence that they are true.
And you will feel better.
You will feel more in control.
More powerful.
We always find what we are looking for.
We find evidence for what we believe.
Believe you have the power to create ease, peace, and balance in your life.
It all starts with your thoughts. Your mindset.
You can add tools and skills to manage your time better and create more free time, more white space, in your life—when you’re ready for more.
But for today, just choose to change your mind.
That’s the first step.
Here’s to choosing you,
Denee