Live to Work or Work to Live?
Today I’m packing and making some nutrient dense foods to take with us for the road trip tomorrow. I was thinking about making my:
- Berry Delicious Health Bars
- Sweet Summer Rolls
- Super Seed Crackers with cashew cheese
- Spiced Fruit Loaf
(I love taking homemade treats when we go away – even if they only last a day or two!!)
Over the next 7 days I’ll be somewhere along the Sunshine Coast strolling along the beach, bushwalking in the mountains, or dining on whole food with my beloved family!
It hasn’t been often in the last few years that we’ve taken a decent holiday. Each break away has usually been capped at 3-4 days on long weekends, with perhaps a five-day adventure at Christmas time.
Our getaways have never been long enough to truly recharge the batteries and energise the soul – especially when they have been so few and far between.
You’ve probably noticed yourself: as soon as you start relaxing, it’s time to head home already.
In the early years of building my business there were many hats to juggle – It’s not easy being an entrepreneur who prefers working with clients over working on my business.
Whenever I had spare time between coaching, counselling, or teaching meditation and mind-body practices, my attention was scattered between dozens of tasks on my to-do list that never seemed to get any shorter.
With a great deal to learn, I often made choices that neglected my self-care – like take work with me whenever we went away.
Resentment started to creep in.
My ever supportive partner would hear me complain about not having any time for my morning walks, to watch a TV show, or for reading the pile of research books stacked high beside our bed.
He could see I felt overwhelmed and would help wherever he could. But in reality – and I knew this – the only person stopping me from taking the time out that I needed to breathe, re-focus and collect my energy, was me.
This year we decided to prioritise relaxation and quality time together; to make time work for us, instead of us working against ourselves.
We realised that living to work was not working for us.
Yes, we’ve had to work hard to have what we have, but if we’re so tired and worn out working so hard to get here, when will we start enjoying what all the hard work has given us?
This is why we sat down together last Christmas to refocus on what we’re working towards:
- We each made a list of where our time was being spent.
- Then we made a list of where we wanted to spend our time.
We set out a few ideas on how we could accomplish this and then entered several dates into our family calendar throughout the year to not only work towards, but also look forward to enjoying.
Then we got busy setting boundaries to protect our plan like:
- setting non-negotiable work hours, and
- making time to do at least one relaxing thing for ourselves each day.
By stepping back regularly and letting go of the need to do everything NOW – or perfectly – I am more in flow with my own unique rhythm, where every whisper of my soul, ache in my body or spark of creativity in my brain can be acknowledged and attended to.
When we all learn to step back and let go once in a while, we can simply focus on being, breathing, laughing and relaxing to ultimately return with more energy, enthusiasm, positivity and productivity.
How are you spending your precious time?
Use it wisely.
Viki xo
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About Viki
Viki Thondley is a Mind-Body Wellness Specialist and qualified Holistic Counsellor, Food, Stress & Lifestyle Coach, Meditation Therapist, and Eating Disorder Recovery Coach who inspires women to shift from dieting and restriction to whole-self nourishment, self-care and whole food healing. Recovered from bulimia nervosa and the many years of hormonal imbalances, food prison and self-sabotaging behaviours’, Viki is an inspiring coach, speaker and event host who also provides personalised holistic programs, workshops and retreats to instil self-love, happiness, body confidence and real food freedom. She is author of “Achieving Your Wellness: Create a Life You Love” and “Healthy Chocolate Delights: Real Food Sweet Treats”.
