I don’t get a minute to myself.
We’ve all felt that way at some point, right? A lot going on at work, and then coming home to family who are waiting to spend time with you too. And of course, you want to spend time with them too.
How do you find the time?
Let’s say you’ve been promoted to a new position (fantastic), but your old position hasn’t been backfilled yet (happened to my husband last year). So you cover both roles for a bit.
But it’s never for just a bit, is it?
Before you know it, it’s been a few months and you feel like you haven’t had a minute to yourself in forever.
For the extroverts this is a challenge.
For introverts like me it’s tragic. Being alone is the only way we properly recharge.
I have to think strategically about taking time away from everything.
Take 2 weeks ago. I was in Krakow facilitating a two-day team offsite with two colleagues: one I had worked with before and one I was meeting and working with for the first time.
It was a team of 90 people and we had some really cool stuff to foster collaboration. I loved the work.
But that is a LOT of peopling for me. By the end of day two my battery was almost dead, and I still had a dinner to attend.
So I had a bath.
Fortune was favouring me that day. I checked-in that night and saw this cute, short bath. The kind that I could actually sit in and not slide under the water (I’m short. if you’re short you know the challenge).
I only had 45 mins until I had to meet up with the group.
I made a strategic decision to have a bath.
It was gorgeous.
I made myself a cup of tea and sat in that bit too hot bath for 10 mins. Divine.
Highlight of my week.
Then I was ready to do some more peopling and had a lovely time.
I travelled home on Friday, and took a late afternoon flight so I could decompress on my own. And look at the amazing opal and amber markets in Krakow.
And the most intensely regenerative bit of that day? Having a cup of tea in bed when I woke up. Just those few minutes of complete peace and silence, with no one around, having a gorgeous cuppa that was just the right temperature.
And when I got home that night I was more present and with my family, which is what they deserve from me.
So how do you take time away from it all to recharge your batteries?
And when time is tight, act strategically.
This is part of my Thought Piece Series, where I explore topics related to leadership and provide both answers and questions. My intention is to start meaningful conversations that help us move forward. Want to connect? Click here.