8 minute read
Coaching & Lifestyle
How do you spend Productively? How to Stop Wasting Time most of your time? Catching up on things?
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Kleine Achiles Life Coach
Do you feel like you ’ re wasting your time a lot? Are you using it for the things you want to do?
Here ’ s a little secret:
There is no one way to measure how you ’ re using your time, whether
you use it productively, efficiently, etc.
When you lay on the couch, one person might consider that a waste of time; another person considers that as time to rest and recharge
How you are using your time is just personal judgement. It’ s an opinion, NOT a fact.
And the thing is, we spend so much time judging how we use our time, instead of being present in it.
There is a famous quote by Mary Oliver from her poem: The Summer Day
Tell me, what is it you plan to do With your one wild and precious life?
And while it’ s a beautiful quote, so many of us
use it against ourselves.
You might have used it to pressure yourself, as some sort of measuring stick to judge whether you ’ re on track for that promotion, that revenue goal for your business, or doing anything meaningful, your life. or fulfilling with
Have you actually read the whole poem by Mary Oliver?
If you haven’t, I suggest you do. But I will point out another part of that same poem:
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done?
The whole poem The Summer Day is actually about being in the present, enjoying what you might consider mundane or uneventful. Mary Oliver talks about taking a stroll through the fields and being idle. Nothing about saving the world, finding a cure for cancer, donating thousands of dollars to charity, or breaking generational cycles of trauma and fighting against racism.
And while those are amazing causes, it’
s important to remember that the day-to-day moments of our lives are full of amazingness, wonder, and meaning in their own way. We just only need to look at those moments in those ways too. You get to decide that. I think something so many of us takes for granted, myself as well, is that one moment… that miracle of being able to open your eyes and wake up the next morning. That belief is that the things I planned in my calendar, the appointments I have booked, the things I want to get done, and having the time to spend with people I love, I’ll be able to do all of those things. When none of that is actually guaranteed. So, what if you’re never actually wasting
time?
What if you are exactly where you need to be in this moment of your life? What if you are actually doing something meaningful with your life by simply living it? What if you spent a little less time judging how you use your time and focused more on that energy being in the moment?
Kleine Achiles
@kleineachiles _ coaching
Lena Suarez-Angelino Mental Health Therapist & Empowerment Coach.
Unplugging in the Name of Self-Love
Understanding the importance of taking the time to unplug as the highest form of self-care and the ultimate form of self-love.
Unplugging comes in many forms and can happen from anywhere! Before I tell you about
how to unplug from anywhere in the world,
I want to share with you my most recent trip to Costa Rica and the inspiration for this article, where I was able to experience the benefits of
unplugging during travel.
When was the last time you took a solo trip? I recently returned from one of the most healing and transformational trips where I joined a group of other mental health therapists to help relax, restore and rejuvenate so that we can continue to thrive. Ironically, both times I’ ve traveled without family, they were to Costa Rica, and both times they were absolutely life-
changing. Both times, I knew I was meeting up with other people that were traveling solo or
with a friend, in order to join a larger group for a greater purpose. The first time, I was on a
volunteer trip and stayed for approximately three weeks. The second time, it was a one-week
retreat specifically for therapists, hosted by Megan Smith Gunnell of Thriving Well Institute.
Both times, I chose to unplug as much as possible, especially from social media, and that is
where the true healing and the art of unplugging begins.
Sure
, I used my phone while on the plane to listen to music or watch a movie. I brought my iPad with me to answer any emails or respond to my editor for my upcoming book. I responded to things that were immediate and emergent, and the rest was saved for later when I returned. My phone ’ s main purpose while at the retreat center was for checking in with my family periodically (traveling away from family can be hard!) and to take the most stunning photos. Aside from that, I spent my time talking to everyone around me and soaking in the sights and sounds of beautiful Costa Rica.
What I’ve learned about unplugging, especially while on travel, is that you truly allow your body, mind, and soul to relax and be present. When you travel without distraction, you have a greater sense of clarity and peace. You are able to ask yourself the deeper questions that your soul has been longing to hear the answer to. You are able to be more mindfully present so that you are no longer influenced by daily life stressors and distractions, pressuring you to live a life that may not be most aligned for you. Lastly, you are able to visualize a plan for when you return and be more intentional in your life as a whole. You become more selective with the time you spend with family and friends, the time you spend working, and most importantly, the time you spend on yourself. Unplugging has been able to emphasize the importance of taking the time to spend on myself to prevent burnout.
How to unplug, from anywhere in the world
The main purpose of this article is to show you how to unplug from anywhere in the world so that you, too, can experience the beautiful benefits that have become invaluable. You can begin by taking tiny steps in your plan to unplug such as setting time limits on certain apps or limiting use of technology at certain hours of the day. It takes some getting used to at first, but then you start to become aware of how much more intentional you can be with your time.
Think of the things that you feel that you never have time for throughout the day. Do you wish you spent more time reading? Tidying and organizing your house? Learning a new language or hobby? All of these things are a great way to spend your time while you are unplugging from your phone. Perhaps you use this time to sit outside and listen to the birds, bringing a journal with you to capture your thoughts. Why you should unplug from time to time
The more you unplug from the mindless scrolling the more at peace you become. As mentioned earlier, you reduce the amount of influence and pressure that is consumed by society, especially on social media. People often fear the quiet and avoid it at all costs with distractions. Unplugging from time to time helps you become more comfortable with the silence, as you quickly learn that the silence offers a lot more room for introspection.
Unplugging helps you to slow down, evaluate, and plan. It gives you the opportunity to take a break, rest, and restore. When you slow down, you are able to evaluate and take a look at what is and is not working for you in both your personal and professional life. Then you can create a plan of action to work towards building and creating a life that is more fulfilling.
The amount of time spent unplugging doesn’t have to be hours and hours and hours. It can be 5-10 minutes here and there. At the end of the day, humans are social beings, and therefore connection and interaction is vital. I’m not promoting that you cut yourself off from the world forever, rather that you allow yourself the time to be without influence.
How to keep in touch with me
Give it a try. I would love to know what you gain from the experience of unplugging. Feel free to connect with me on Instagram (@lenasuarezangelino) or send me an email at
lena@lightcollectiveandco.com.
There are a few things in the works, such as launching my own podcast series, The LIGHT Life with Lena as well as promoting my upcoming book, Anger Management Workbook for Moms.
LIGHT Collective & Co. is my community where you learn to put yourself first without feeling guilty. LIGHT serves as a reminder to let it go, here, today.
