Investing in your lifestyle may have traditionally been a clear signal to rush out and buy your dream boat or spending endless hours a a Day Spa.
No so these days – our increasing life of ‘busy’ means that having any kind of lifestyle that includes relaxation or self-care feels like something you can only hope to enjoy in retirement.
We have become numb to the way we live now and accept that this frantic pace is ‘just the way it is’ and to ‘suck it up’ and keep going.
If you are feeling a little like this, you may find more signs that you need to stop, take check, and invest in your lifestyle – a simple investment of time is a great place to start and is cheaper than that boat!
- You leave for work before 7am
- You can’t recall the last time you did any exercise – outside running for the train
- You consistently arrive home in the dark
- The best lunch you can manage is a cracker from the staff tea room
- Your babies/fur babies spend more time with a screen than with you
- Your last holiday was a Public Holiday
- Your friends are stalking you on Facebook because they haven’t seen you in months
- You feel guilty about family/friends when you are at work, and stressed about work when you are not there.
- You spend any ‘free’ time managing domestic tasks.
So what can you do. As horrid as it sound, part of the solution is to invest time. Time to:
- Speak to your boss or co-workers about the volume of work or negotiate flexible work arrangements.
- Attend Yoga, this will help to relax your mind and stretch your tired body that has been hunched over a desk for 40+ hours a week.
- Consider Walking Meetings, the perfect way to exercise, get outside and do work
- Pack a healthy lunch – nothing wrong with a salad sandwich, muesli bar and a piece of fruit.
- Plan a holiday and put your Annual leave form to your employer – today!
- Catch up with friends over lunch – there is a great idea to never eat alone – everyone has to eat – use that time to catch up with friends, family and co-workers
Outsource domestic activities so you can spend more time living.