When was the last time you took a day just for yourself? If you're a small business owner or anyone else for that matter, you answer is probably never. I first learned the principal; of Extraordinary Self-care Day at a workshop given by my friend Terri Levine the author of Work Yourself Happy. Essentially an Extraordinary Self-care Day is taking one 24-hour period where you take care of yourself. You do no work at all. I know, I can hear your protest. I protested too when I first heard this idea "But you don't understand, I have to check my voicemail, I have to return phone calls, I have to answer my emails and on and on." I protested in my very best entrepreneurial voice. The truth is any of us can take a day for ourselves without consequence. Believe it or not, the world will keep spinning. Calls will wait as will email.
This is a day just for you. If you normally do the cooking on your Extraordinary Self-Care Day, you will refrain from making meals. Trust me your family will not starve. Obviously if there are small children or infants that depend on you, you would have to modify this. Overall try to do nothing that is related to your normal work. This is a pampering day just for you.
The first time I did this, I discovered just how my work relates to things that I do on any given day. Most of my reading was centered on business topics. Being an entrepreneur and self-employed, I was convinced I had to be working all the time. I was wrong. Kicking and screaming, I embarked on my Extraordinary Self-Care Day. I took a walk, read part of a novel, took a luxurious bath in our soaking tub (something I never used to do) and just hung out and took care of myself. What a concept!
It's been a year now and my Extraordinary Self-Care Day has become an integral part of my life. I not only feel better, and am having more fun, I have my life back. Doing this regularly has enabled me to put my work back into perspective. I no longer work seven days a week and I no longer do email throughout the day.
The interesting thing is that because of my taking this time to nurture myself, I'm actually more productive. Because I'm taking better care of myself I have more clarity and I'm able to better focus on the task on hand. Because I am taking better care of myself, I am more creative and productive. Most of all, because I am taking better care of myself, I feel better and have more happiness, after all isn't that what it's all about?
So your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to schedule one 24-hour period, sometime within the next 10 days, when you can give yourself an Extraordinary Self-Care Day and then go and do it. Once you've done this, see how you might be able to do this weekly and when you feel really ready, schedule an Extraordinary Self-Care Day for what would have been a normal work day.
? 2004 Jim Donovan - PO Box 1147, Buckingham, PA 18912 - (215) 794-3826
Jim Donovan is the author of "Handbook to a Happier Life, a motivational speaker and coach. For a no cost bonus product & more, visit http://www.jimdonovan.com
If you had all the information and tools you needed to live your dream life, would you use them? Yes? Click here ==> http://www.jimdonovan.com
tidy up service Glenview ..In the body, the stress response is mediated by the... Read More
According to the Australian Council of Trade Unions' (A.C.T.U.) 1997... Read More
One of the best ways to relieve yourself from the... Read More
Rhodiola Rosea is the latest natural remedy to join the... Read More
The right amount of stress can be good for you,... Read More
Q: We recently had someone come to our company to... Read More
Stress, America's #1 health problem, is a leading cause of... Read More
"I'm stressed out."If you find yourself thinking--or saying--this on a... Read More
Q: Someone told me that the Chinese symbol for crisis... Read More
"Learn how to turn frustration into fascination. You will learn... Read More
Looking for all of the answers in how to manage... Read More
"Smash!" It was a sunny autumn Saturday. My cousins and... Read More
We all know what it feels like to have our... Read More
We've all been there, right? We find ourselves living with... Read More
We function at our best when we are free from... Read More
There is good stress, and there is bad stress. Good... Read More
I have yet to see a scientist talk about the... Read More
Many of my readers write to me about the tensions... Read More
Stress affects different people in different ways, but affect them... Read More
We all know what it's like coming home from a... Read More
Work stress has become a major problem today. The nature... Read More
?And holding it way down inside you like an old... Read More
Do you get frustrated with your spouse, your kids, your... Read More
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYSExperts in the stress management field have... Read More
We all know that stress levels in the workplace are... Read More
maid service near Winnetka ..Loneliness and separation are the real illness of our times.... Read More
My grandmother, a feisty and athletic woman in her younger... Read More
Do you ever fret? In today's materialistic age, sometimes fretting... Read More
Feeling stressed? Who isn't!! In today's society, feeling "stressed out,"... Read More
What is Stress?Stress may be defined as the three-way relationship... Read More
As Montaigne said, "he who fears he will suffer, already... Read More
Think back a few years to the nine coal miners... Read More
The fall season signals a shift in most people's minds.... Read More
You can learn a lot by watching children playing. There... Read More
The main problem in a down economy is that workplaces... Read More
There is one sure fire medicine that cures all difficulty... Read More
STRESS & TIME MANAGEMENT: Stress is either the source or... Read More
With almost 50% of workers complaining that their jobs are... Read More
I'm sure you have heard of IBS, irritable bowel syndrome,... Read More
In these times when companies are constantly down-sizing and right-sizing... Read More
1. Take a relaxing bath. Add music, candles and a... Read More
THE ENCHANTED SELF? teaches you how to access positive states... Read More
What would you say if I told you I know... Read More
While free-lancing for business magazines, I was assigned to write... Read More
10 Ways to Monitor Corporate Stress LevelsGood military leaders work... Read More
"Do you want to be a lump of coal or... Read More
Seems like more and more they are all around us.... Read More
Get at least 15 minutes of sunshine daily.Daily Exercise -... Read More
To be a safe and predictable person for those around... Read More
I'm so excited that I have discovered this secret today.... Read More
Stress Management |