Blame it on Lucy!

by | Motivational Mondays

This adult thing is sort of exhausting, right? There are the family responsibilities, household responsibilities, work responsibilities and let’s not even talk about doing taxes… 

Last week I had the opportunity to give three presentations, which is one of my favorite parts of Well Balanced Nutrition. I love an audience and I also enjoy the community atmosphere; however, they demand a lot of my energy. 

After presenting at North Carolina Central University on Wednesday, I had a few hours before my next appointment and treated myself to a stroll around campus including a 20-minute stop in their lovely art museum. 

I went home and was able to get 3-4 items off my to-do list before the afternoon meeting. I realized without taking the time for myself I probably would have accomplished the same amount of work, but with less concentration, peace and clarity. 

How are you pressing the reset button during your workday? Below are a handful of suggestions pulled from my own experience and what I’ve learned from others.

Take a mid-day walk – My personal favorite! I always used my lunch break in the clinic for a 25 minute walk, which my staff knew was mandatory or else nobody wanted to be around me that afternoon.  

Chitchat breaks – Allow yourself 10 to 15 minutes of gabbing with your coworkers about something completely unrelated to work.  

Mindful breathing, meditation or stretching – Take a few minutes to close the door, dim or turn off the lights, bring the attention inward to the breath… Start with 10 slow inhales and exhales – filling up the lungs as far as possible and slowly exhaling it all out. 

Bring a book – Grab something entertaining, delightful or fascinating for you to enjoy on a lunch break or for mid afternoon pick-me-up. 

Music! – My personal favorite is the instrumental Disney station on YouTube, but you pick whatever works best for you :-). 

Tea time – Instead of the usual afternoon hunt for sugar, try a hot (or cold) cup of tea and spend a few minutes savoring the flavor before turning back to the emails, IM bings, and projects.   

Food for thought: 

Today I give you permission to take 20 minutes to do what ever you want during the work day. 

I don’t know your boss, but I imagine if they knew how much more productive you will be at the end of these 20 minutes they will totally agree with me.

In case they don’t – just blame it on Lucy (I can take it!). 

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