Alot of people suffers from time poverty. Individuals are so busy trying to go faster, do more and buy more that they never get a chance to just experience being alive. Time poverty do lead to stress and to stress related ailments like heart disease, diabetes, fatigue, insomnia and high blood pressure.
Most of us are so used to living by the clock that we think we must live by the clock. But the modern clock wasn't invented until the 16th century. Even the hourglass didn't see wide use until the 13th century. Without clocks to control us, our ancestors experienced time as a series of moments defined by nature's pace, not as an endless parade of deadline.
You can return to this wonderful sense of timelessness by a technique that helps demonstrate that your experience of time is under your control. It's not about being more efficient. It's about slowing down and focusing on one thing at a time. It's about a process governed by a single rule - live life in the now. Here are some time management practices to help you slow down:
- Do one thing at a time, giving it your full attention. Pause for a few minutes after finishing one task before beginning another.
- Take several three to five minute mini-breaks. While you're breaking, focus on your breathing. Slowly fill your lungs, then slowly release the air. Close your eyes and relax and notice how your body feels.
- Get to meetings early so you can compose yourself before others arrive.
- Create time boundaries by setting aside some time to devote entirely to yourself. During this period basically 15 minutes or so before work or after dinner, permit no meetings, no phone calls, no worries.
- Create time retreats. Once a year, spend a week or more doing something extraordinary. I'm talking about a jam packed vocation, but a retreat into nature. Anything that lets you shift to a slower rhythm because it should help you entrain to a slower, more peaceful pace.
- Create spontaneous time. Lets say you had something very important to do that day but it got postponed for 24 hours. You feel like the day has been given to you, free of responsibilities or goals. Every now and then, schedule spontaneous time for yourself. For an example, open your date book and pencil in your name. Set aside a few hours for an unplanned drive or for just lying in bed.
?
