ENJOY
WORK-LIFE
BALANCE
NOW
By
Doris
Helge,
Ph.D.
©2008
You
hear
people
grumble
every
day,
“Yuk!
These
time-saving
devices
.
.
.
cell
phones,
e-mail,
personal
planners,
and
palm
pilots
.
.
.
they
steal
my
time.”
Yet,
in
many
cultures
around
the
globe,
people
still
feed,
clothe,
and
shelter
themselves
without
clocks
or
Daytimers™.
How
do
they
do
it?
Their
lives
flow
with
the
natural
rhythms
of
time.
CREATE
SACRED
TIME
People
who
chronically
try
to
manage
time
crave
time.
Our
souls
are
malnourished
when
we
feel
time-starved.
Instead
of
trying
to
squeeze
more
activities
into
a
packed
calendar,
balance
the
cultural
obsession
of
speed
and
efficiency
with
tranquility.
Enter
the
realm
of
sacred
time
by
reconnecting
with
the
slower,
deeper
rhythms
of
life
that
are
experienced
through
meditation,
enjoyment
of
nature,
and
peaceful
music.
Reconnect
to
your
own
inner
rhythms
as
often
as
possible.
During
leisure
time,
turn
off
the
"bad-news
box"
(a.k.a.
the
television)
and
experience
the
spaces
when
time
stops.
Examples
include
daydreaming,
playing
with
children
and
pets,
watching
fish
swim
in
an
aquarium,
enjoying
loved
ones,
digging
in
a
garden,
exploring
creative
projects,
and
soaking
in
a
hot
bath.
Regularly
engage
in
activities
that
disconnect
you
from
the
rhythm
of
man-made
clock
time
and
reconnect
you
with
your
deepest
inner
rhythms
and
those
of
Mother
Earth.
The
benefits
you’ll
be
blessed
with
include
inner
peace,
clarity,
and
new
energy.
CLAIM
SPECIAL
TIME
Everyone
requires
some
time
alone.
You’ll
never
receive
it
unless
you
declare
and
defend
it.
If
your
responsibilities
preclude
scheduling
a
regular
time
for
yourself
mid-afternoon
or
after
work,
consider
getting
up
a
half
hour
earlier
to
claim
your
private
time.
Meditate,
stretch,
enjoy
a
brisk
walk,
breathe
deeply,
or
simply
enjoy
the
sweetness
of
silence.
The
process
will
enrich
your
entire
day
so
much
that
your
special
inner
space
will
rapidly
become
a
positive
addiction.
Make
this
a
time
just
for
contemplation
and
enjoyment.
You’ll
be
rewarded
with
helpful
insights
all
day
long.
If
your
time
alone
is
interrupted
by
concerns
about
your
to-do
list
or
other
people's
agendas,
allow
those
thoughts
to
flow
through
without
resistance.
If
an
issue
continues
to
nag
at
you,
jot
yourself
a
quick
reminder
and
return
to
your
calm,
quiet
state
of
mind.
Occasional
idleness
is
not
a
luxury.
It’s
a
necessity.
Sculpting
some
solitary
time
to
reflect
on
who
you
are
and
what
you
need
provides
a
service
to
everyone
in
your
life.
Work
flows
more
smoothly
when
you’re
relaxed.
You’re
a
more
patient
parent
and
partner.
Because
you’re
aware
of
your
own
beliefs
and
values,
you
easily
notice
what
others
need.
You
assist
them
in
ways
that
empower
them.
Use
slow
to
create
flow.
SUPPORT
SERENDIPITY
When
you
can,
shuffle
your
schedule
to
the
side
at
least
part
of
one
day
a
week.
Notice
when
you’re
tempted
to
backslide
into
schedule-slave
mode.
Ask
yourself,
"Is
my
calendar
larger
than
my
life?"
Trust
your
inner
guidance
and
allow
the
perfection
of
the
process
of
your
life
to
be
revealed.
Enjoy
serendipitous
events.
Once
you
begin
keeping
notes
regarding
unexpected
opportunities
and
joys,
they’ll
seem
to
occur
more
often
because
our
brains
notice
more
of
what
we
focus
on.
We
don’t
create
a
joyful
life
by
running
through
a
moving
train
as
if
a
mad
dash
will
cause
us
to
reach
an
delightful
destination
more
quickly.
We
discover
happiness
by
allowing
space
and
time
for
magical
moments.
Pauses
produce
insights
that
guarantee
a
rich,
rewarding
life.
Visit
http://www.FreeJoyOnTheJobEbooks.com now
and
GET
YOUR
FREE
EBOOKS:
"Secrets
of
Happiness
at
Work,"
"Employee
Engagement
Made
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and
"Get
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Respect
&
Appreciation
You
Deserve
Now."
Doris
Helge,
Ph.D.,
is
an
executive
coach
&
a
corporate
trainer
for
companies
as
large
as
Microsoft.
©
2008
This
article
was
excerpted
with
permission
from
"Joy
on
the
Job"
by
Doris
Helge,
Ph.D.
Permission
to
reprint
this
article
is
granted
if
the
article
is
in
tact,
with
proper
credit
given.
All
reprints
must
state,
"Reprinted
with
permission
by
Doris
Helge,
Ph.D.
Originally
published
in
"Joy
on
the
Job,"
http://MoreJoyOnTheJob.com
©
2008.
