Skip to main content

Retract the Distractions In Your Life

Image
By
http://avintageaffairgal.blogspot.com/2011/11/when-retro-ladies-speak-out.html


Today is a busy day. You know you have a lot to get done and not enough time to do it all. You start your work day with a quick read of the e-mails in your inbox, but that quick read soon leads down a rabbit trail of distractions. Your friend sent out and e-mail with a video link to some music video about a fox on YouTube. You know you should watch it later, but curiosity has got you... Three minutes and 45 amusing seconds later you chide yourself for the distraction and try to get back to work - if you can divert yourself from the other string of amusing videos, facebook updates, e-mails and articles that are cluttering up your inbox and your mind. There are so many things competing for your time. So, how can you stay on track?

First, start by managing the distractions in your life. Review your day and prioritize what is critical to get done that day. It often helps to make a written list. Say no to things that are not a priority. Saying no will allow you to say yes to something more important.

Second, leave some down time in your day. There will inevitably be something that comes up in the day you have not considered. If you leave some scheduled down time, it will give you wiggle room to deal with those things without feeling so stressed out.

Finally, forget doing everything perfectly. Perfectionism can be a huge distraction in and of itself because it will slow you down, and even stop you from getting started on your to-do's. Cut yourself some slack and learn to be okay with doing the best you can and then moving on to the next thing you have to do.

Then, when you have completed the most important things on your list, take a little time to reward yourself - a nice cup of tea, doing your nails, a few minutes on your favorite blog, whatever feels relaxing to you. It is the perfect way to unwind and get you ready for the rest of your day!


Labels:

Comments

  1. ChadSeptember 12, 2013 at 5:49 AM

    I never did finish your post. Got distracted by the fox. Sheesh.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Letting go of broken relationships

By
One of my Houston clients brought in this picture of a naked woman embracing a skeleton. She told me it had moved her deeply and spoke to her in a way that words could not. For this client, it was a visual depiction of a relationship she was holding onto with a man who could never really give her what she needed. When he would call her, she experienced a rush of happiness. But when he ignored her for days or weeks, she was forlorn and hopeless. She questioned herself and wondered why she was not more attractive to him. She was sure that if she were prettier, or smarter, or better in some way, he would be more interested. And she hated herself for not being able to just move on despite knowing the relationship was broken and lifeless.  Seeing all of this depicted in this image communicated directly to her heart what was really going on. She was holding onto a man who was emotionally dead, unable to give back or love, or share in any satisfying way. She felt disgusted at the t
6 comments
Read more

How To Support Someone Going Through Infertility

By
Guest Blog Post by Sarah Bradshaw ------------------------- For many women, trying to get pregnant is difficult, stressful, and painful Have you heard this story: woman meets someone, they fall in love, commit to one another, and then along comes a baby (or two or three)? Simple, right? For many women, having a baby is anything but simple. It can, in fact, be a difficult, stressful and potentially painful --both emotionally and physically--experience . Sometimes, the above stor y goes like this: woman meets someone, they fall in love , commit to one another, and then--nothing, absolutely nothing. The woman goes to see her do ctor to see if something is wrong . Sometimes , there's nothing wrong . The doctor says it’s just going to take more time (insert frown or angry face here) . S ometimes they get referred to a specialist. The referral is the start of a very bumpy and emotional ride. I know be cau se I have been there, and I know many other women who ha
3 comments
Read more

Life With A Narcissist

By
During the recent presidential election cycle, people threw around the term narcissist or narcissistic personality disorder a lot when talking about Donald Trump. Many articles were written and tweets tweeted about the subject. As a therapist, I know that I can not diagnose someone I have never examined, but the discussions did call to mind my clients who have partners that exhibit traits of narcissism or even full-blown narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)? NPD is a mental health diagnosis that is characterized by an unhealthy sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. Many people have traits of narcissism, but very few, about 6.2% of the population, would meet diagnostic criteria for NPD. You can learn more about it from this nifty animated video: How does narcissism affect you in a relationship? I can recall one client, Cindy,  who came to me feeling dep
4 comments
Read more