York County Medicine Summer 2019 - 39

YO R K C O M E D S O C . O R G

or a project at work. We can't do it all
well, and sometimes one part of life gets
priority. It is okay to say no, and it is
okay to have downtime.
To Try Today: Is there an item on
your upcoming schedule that saps
your energy as you consider saying yes?
Picture the NO conversation and keep
it short and straightforward without
further explanation: "No, I'm not able
to take that on right now." I don't
recommend it as a response to spouses
or employers (have a more thorough
conversation with them!), but for most
requests, the adage holds, "No is a complete sentence."

3. Organize Your Schedule: Leave Room for
Margin
Are you always running late? Is the getting out the door
scurry par for the course in your home? When you are driving
to the next appointment, are your knuckles white on the wheel
because the traffic is not letting you shorten your drive time to
make up for your late departure?
Margins of a page are that white space around the edges
that let our eyes focus on the relevant words in the middle. In
our schedules, margin gives us the breathing room we need
to comfortably transition from one activity to the next, to get
from point A to point B, to recharge our batteries after a long
week.
You might need to practice counting backward. If your
appointment is at 9, and it is a 20-minute drive, you can't
wait until 8:40 to stand up to leave. You need to allow time
to collect your last minute items, find your keys, water, and
sunglasses, walk to the car, plug the address into your GPS,
walk from the parking lot to the actual location, etc. This
practice is easier for some of us than others, but most of us
have a weak spot where we cut it too close, and it helps to
recognize it!
If you are doing the morning scramble with little ones, you
might need to keep counting! What time do THEY need to
get up to be out the door at the appointed time? And what
time do YOU need to be up to be ready to get them up (extra
points if the coffee is brewed before you wake them!)? Don't
calculate using soldiers as your example - we are working with
toddlers - they need snuggles, you need to take an adorable
video for Facebook, their tags are too itchy, and they can't find
their lovies. Imagine a world where there is enough time in
your morning where these things make your heart sing rather
than stressing you out!
To Try Today: Where do you need to get more realistic
about factoring extra time into your schedule? Add in one
15 minute buffer and relish the relaxed sensation of not being
rushed.

4. Start Your Day the Night
Before
Chaos during the day can leave you
with a desire to complete last-minute tasks
before bed - this can cause you to: stay up
later, bring your devices into the bedroom,
or disrupt your sleep with a second wind
adrenaline boost, getting your morning off to
a slow start. What a vicious cycle!
Take 10 minutes at the end of the day to
do a mental unpack and download - review
the day's to-do list and make tomorrow's. Put
stars by the 3-5 essentials that are absolute
priorities. Write down all those items that
are nagging at your mind, taking up mental bandwidth, and
preventing a good night's sleep. Take a minute to think about
your morning and count backward to wake up time. Set aside
items you will need to have with you tomorrow. Lay out
outfits.
It won't happen in one night, but eventually, this process
will result in a positive cycle, where you get a better night's
sleep, start your morning in a more positive and relaxed way,
increase your productivity on the most crucial items with your
to-do list, and end the day feeling accomplished and deserving
of rest as you review the day and plan for tomorrow.
To Try Today: Spend ten minutes before bedtime with
a piece of paper doing a mental unpack and prepare for
tomorrow!

5. Time for Maintenance
When everything has a home, it doesn't take long to
maintain your systems. But they don't care for themselves, so
factor in extra time. My battle cry is "Just 10 minutes!!" You
can do almost anything for 10 minutes, right? So, set a timer
(or tell Siri or Alexa to do it), head to the space that needs your
attention, start from one corner and work your way around.
When the alarm goes off, amaze yourself with how much you
success, and decide if you might just have 10 more minutes in
you!
In a family, make sure you are either assigning chores or
setting aside time for many hands to make light work. After
dinner or a half hour before bed are great times to set aside!
Make it a game and get it done!
To Do Today: Just 10 minutes!
So, close your eyes, take a deep breath in and out, and spend a
minute visualizing your life with less clutter and chaos, and more
organization and peace! Consider some steps (even baby steps!)
you could take today to create that reality, then open your eyes and
take action! You will not only improve your situation, but progress
toward a goal makes us feel empowered, which reduces our stress
response! So, seize some control today: Get organized for less
stress!
SUMMER 2019 | York County Medicine

39
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York County Medicine Summer 2019

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