I’m
not a morning person so once I do crack open my eyes time is of the
essence to get going, and catch up to the rest of the world. But on the
days that I do jump into the ocean without taking a second to put on the
right gear I feel the difference. Yes, I’m still swimming but I get
tired faster and have to take more breaks to wipe my eyes from the salt.
Whereas if I took the time to put on my mask, and bring a noodle I
would be able to swim longer.
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| Picture: Shutterfly |
The same way we plug in our phones to
get the juice it needs to operate at high speed, sometimes we need to
unplug and slow down to operate and execute at our highest level. So
after years of running my own company and observing the habits of women
in powerful positions across the board, I discovered these three simple
ways to stay grounded as my schedule and my career continues to climb.- Start with gratitude.
Instead of grabbing my phone first, I
grab a notebook. I take a moment to start the day with what I’m grateful
for. I write down three things and then move on. Occasionally if I have
an extra couple of minutes I’ll add in a bit if mindfulness and
visualization to imagine how I want the day to go.
- Eliminate guilt for taking breaks.
You can’t operate a company, or
fulfill your work obligations on an empty tank. I used to think working
constantly and completely cutting out what I viewed as distractions was
the answer to getting things done. In actuality some of these
“distractions” are healthy and necessary to help us refill our tanks to
show up fully at work. It took a mentor sitting me down and talking with
me about family and dating in order to see those moments with friends,
partners and family as helping my work versus distracting me from it.
That reframing helped eliminate the guilt of feeling like I should be
working when I’m spending time with loved ones.
- Sleep, and don’t forget to eat.
These days, I view the ultimate sign
of success as getting a full night of sleep. Outside of the
responsibility of caring for small children, it’s more important to
sleep over pulling an all nighter. Beyond how it actually feels to not
get enough sleep, it has actual effects on our brain. In particular lack
of sleep impairs our memory and cognition.
It slows down our ability to recognize and process what is happening in
front of us. In this culture of going fast and not taking breaks, I
notice more of my peers saying things like they forgot to eat (and
usually realizing this around 5pm). If this is you, try packing grapes,
almonds or other snacks to help power through while still nourishing
your body.
Rhonesha is the founder and CEO of Her Agenda - a digital media platform bridging the gap between ambition and achievement for millennial women. You can follow her @NeshasAgenda.
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