In September last year, I did a blog post called: You don’t have to be available 24/7. It popped up the other day in one of my Facebook memories. And the post resonated so well with what I am experiencing at this stage again this year.
If you haven’t read the post yet or want to read it again – you can read it here!
When it comes to the end of the year, I see so many people suffering from burn out. The responsibilities are endless and the time frame to get it all done before the end of the year is adding more and more pressure as the days go by. We often forget the vital importance of just stopping for a second, re-adjusting our focus and checking in with ourselves.
As a small business owner, client experience is something I truly value and prioritise to the best of my abilities. But being a wife as well – I try to switch off the work mode when my husband gets home in the afternoons after his workday. But time and again, I find myself responding to emails and messages long after dark. And I always argue that I didn’t have enough time in the day to get around to everyone. But the fact of the matter is… The world will go on with or without me. There are millions of other fitness professionals who can offer programs and coaching. But at the end of the day, my husband only has one wife.
When life gets busy and the list of priorities pile up – we always tend to cut into our family time. I’m sure you can relate to it. We argue that our close friends and family will understand, but the world won’t. And yes, your friends and family will most likely understand and not be upset. But I want to remind you today, that the world can wait!
Going into this long weekend, I want you to ponder on that thought. Every weekend and everyday after work. But especially over long weekends and holidays. We need to make the intentional decision to switch off from work mode. The world won’t burn down when we’re not available 24/7 at everyone’s disposal.
Some people might get upset if you take a bit longer to respond than they expect of you. And we all (including myself) need to learn to be okay with that. We are humans – not robots and we don’t function like a drive thru. We set the tone for what people expect of us. If I am always available on my phone to respond to messages and emails regardless of what time of day it is – then I am showing others that it’s fine if they contact me at those times. Life is busy and I often send people business related messages after hours as well – as that’s the only time I get around to do it or remember about it. I’m not saying we can’t send a message before 9am or after 5pm any longer. What I am saying is – we shouldn’t expect of others or ourselves that we should respond outside of those times - whatever those work hours might look like for you.
I’ve fallen off the wagon and let go of my personal time. And I’m going to prioritise it for the rest of the year again. To be more present outside of work. Work can wait. The world can wait. And I want to encourage you to do the same!
Amidst the hustle and bustle and the never-ending list of things that needs to get done before the end of the year… Let’s not let ourselves down. Take care of yourself first and prioritise the things which are really important. When we do that, the other things usually tend to fall into place themselves anyway.
I’m going to finish off this blog with some lines from last year’s blog post:
We should never underestimate the importance of taking a step back. If you fail to take time off and take time for yourself – you will burn yourself out! And a burnt-out person cannot serve others. Learning to take a step is not only good for you – but also good for the people around you! You want to be there for everyone, but you need to be there for yourself & your close friends and family first! You can't pour from an empty cup!