I was talking to my friend the other day who was feeling overwhelmed with work and balancing her personal life as well. She was in a situation where she no longer loved her job and was just dragging her feet every day. I was in her shoes a while back during certain times in my career. To wake up every single day dragging yourself out of bed after hitting that snooze button three or four times is the worst habit of all. But, we all do it.
I encouraged her to wake up at least 15 minutes earlier to spend that time meditating, sipping a hot cup of coffee, journaling or just having her "me time". I started this routine as one of my 2018 New Year's Resolutions after I started reading this book, "Letting Go" by David Hawkins. This book will change the outlook of how you look at things in life. It will teach you to be present, how to handle difficult coworkers, and how to be your best self.
I remember working as a manager in a corporate environment meant your job was 24/7. If you left early before the regular office closure, you would be seen as lazy. If you stayed later, you were deemed as a hard worker. I had my work email connected to my personal phone so as soon as I would wake up to my alarm, the first thing I would see on my phone is the all the work emails and work-related text messages before I was even out of bed. When you see that red notification on your phone, you are addicted to clicking it. I was addicted to clicking through all of them each morning as I was waking up. I must admit the first half of my 20's, I was a workaholic. I would spend my morning going through my emails and ended up rushing through the door, rushing through the morning traffic. I started my day already jittery before my morning coffee tea and my mind would be buzzing with all the things I had to do that day. By 11 a.m. I was exhausted.
This workaholic type habit ultimately led me to burnout. I am not talking about being tired from a long day, where a quick nap would help. I am talking about a physical burnout where your doctor mandates you to stay at home. Yikes!
This past year, I started hitting the snooze button in the morning. But I didn't hit snooze, to keep on sleeping. I used this moment to take my moment to pause. I started taking 30 minutes or even an hour to myself in the morning and noticed my days started to get better. I would wake up earlier and read the news, read inspirational quotes, and meditate. This was my moment to prioritize myself before I prioritize others, my colleagues and my work. My days went by quicker, I felt better in the mornings instead of groggy and felt more centered. I had recommended this to my friend who was going through difficulties at work and her response was: "I don't have time".
The "I don't have time" response triggered the old workaholic side of me. I have to admit, I used to have that same mentality every day. And I completely understand when life gets a little crazy, there are certain things you do not have time for. But after my experience of being burnout, I had learned to change my perspective and making certain priorities every single day. Instead of saying "I don't.." say "My priority for today is...".
If you are going through a difficult time at work, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have been there. Things may seem hopeless and no matter what you do, every day is the same. You feel as if this is what is an excepted work lifestyle and something you just need to get used to. In gaining a different perspective in life, you have to remember that YOU ARE A PRIORITY. If you are sick and burnt out, how are you able to work? You would have to take sick days off, miss work and be even more stressed out trying to catch up on work when you return. No matter what profession you are in, whether you are a nurse, a teacher, a banker or even a physical trainer before you start your day to prioritize your work and others, prioritize yourself. Take a moment in the morning to do something for you, whether it is a morning jog, yoga, meditation, reading, or just sipping on tea. When you start your day, think of three major priorities that you need to focus on so your mind isn't thinking of a million things at once. Remember, you are one person. Conquer one day at a time. So this time, it is okay to hit the snooze button. But instead of snoozing to get right back to sleep, take that moment to do something that makes you happy. It is okay to have a snooze button for life. Once you do, you will start to see that you have a more fulfilling today. You are able to take on more tasks and get more things done because you were able to prioritize yourself and your well-being before anyone and anything else that morning.
So before you go to sleep tonight, set your alarm a little earlier so you can find some extra time in your morning to do something joyful for you. Take a moment to "snooze" from the world, the technology, and the tweets and take that "snooze" time for you.
It's 6 a.m. you have extra time before work. Coffee, Tea, Emails? Snooze.
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