Feel like there’s too many dings and demands in your day? Does it seem like when you are home there is someone there that wants your time, attention, or needs you to do a task?
At work does it seem the list of to do’s is endless and there is no way to make it stop?
If you feel like you are being crunched for time and better energy both at home and at work, and you notice your stress levels keep mounting, this is for you.
Many people feel like there is way more list left at the end of their day and this can make it feel like we are swimming in a sea of “too much to do and not enough time” as a steady diet.
While I can’t zap all that away, it is prudent to pause and just breathe. Realizing sometimes we cannot and won’t get it all done and giving ourselves some compassion and grace is a good start.
Additionally, learning to prioritize as well as delegate, becomes necessary for us to feel like we have some control over our home life and our work life.
And of course boundaries play in … our ability to say yes, when we truly can and ought to say yes, AND giving a good no when saying yes doesn’t seem right for us, or will put us over the edge.
One thing we need to be able to determine if we ought to say yes to someone or something, or if we need to say no, is a pause to really think about it before we respond.
One way to slow down the pace is to take some needed cave time.
Cave Time is simple. You stop. Unplug. Pause. Breathe. Listen.
Cave Time is about taking even 5 minute increments to just slow the pace and listen to that still voice that tells you what you need right now.
The question is, how will you answer that voice when it tells you that you need a break?
Too often we succumb to the messages in our head that say “you can’t stop- keep going”.
But in fact, slowing down, pausing, unplugging is often exactly what we need.
Only when we calm our body and brain are we able to think more clearly, make better decisions, and set ourselves up to be able to creatively problem solve.
We are much more likely to think out of the box, and to be functioning at our best when we take these much needed pauses throughout the day.
You might be thinking how great that sounds, but that would never work for you with your workload.
What you are really fighting is the messages in your head that say you can’t. You’ll fall too far behind. People might think you are lazy or not towing the line if you pause… all the reasons.
And yet, I have seen first hand when individuals and teams and even families make collective cave time agreements- in other words, the whole family or the team at work will all begin to take much needed cave time- people actually become more productive with less stress!
Here’s how to get started:
Find an environment that is conducive to feeling safe and relaxed. Ideally, move away from your desk and computer since they are clamoring for your attention. The place you choose should be free from computers, phones, and interruptions. Perhaps find one place for Cave time at home, and another place at work.
Start slow and try Cave Time for just 5 or 10 minutes to start. Begin with some deep breaths. Slow and relaxed breathing, inhaling through your nose, followed by a pause, and slow steady exhale out your mouth can feel relaxing and is a good reset all by itself.
Notice what it feels like to give yourself this time. What do you notice with your breath? How do your muscles feel both before and after Cave time? What do you notice about your ability to think, focus and problem solve after Cave time? Pay attention to any subtle shifts.
If you are ready to get off the crazymaking train and try something different you might just find that a little bit of Cave time goes a long way to quiet your busy brain, help your body feel relaxed again, and can help you to feel and function with more ease, creativity and joy!
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