“It’s not you, it’s me”, “I think I really need a break”, “you really are great, but I just do not think you are the one for me”.
All of these are sayings that we would like to say to our busy lives, but never do. Why is it that people seem to be consistently caught up in their lives to take time for themselves?
Maybe it’s because the individuals think:
- “Just one more thing and then I’ll be done.”
- “I have to finish this by the end of the day.”
- “If I do not go into work, who will: run the meeting, finish the project, etc…?”
- “I can relax later this week.”
As it can be seen, most of us do not think about stopping to take time for themselves, but rather, tend to push “me time” off until their exhausted, sick, or too tired to function. So how can individuals remain dedicated to their work but also take some time for themselves?
1. Make sure lunchtime is lunchtime and do not work over your break.
2. Create a community within your work place. Find people who have similar personalities and take time to have short and sporadic conversations with these individuals throughout your work day.
3. Set goals that are obtainable for a work day. Do not become too ambitious that you tire yourself out too early in the work week.
4. Rely on others; it’s okay to work in a team to achieve some of your goals. Relying on others will often take a lot of the stress off your shoulders.
5. Find a community in which you are accepted, valued, and find yourself excelling in your everyday work.
In order to have a successful work environment for companies, universities, and organizations, individuals need to change their “I have to finish this by the end of the day” mindset to a mindset where they can rely on others to complete part of the work. In changing this mindset, the individual create a more relaxed, stress-free, and successful team environment. By remembering to take “me time” sporadically throughout the work week, the environment becomes one that is more enjoyable and team oriented.
