By Carmen Greger
Counterintuitive, perhaps, but in this hustle culture environment we live in, pressing the pause button is a key strategy for immediate and long-term success.
In today’s fast-paced world, we often find ourselves entangled, caught up, lost in (or all of the above) the busy-ness of daily life. We are constantly on the go, trying to keep up with our jam-packed schedules, deadlines, and responsibilities. As a result, we may find ourselves feeling drained, overwhelmed, and burnt out.
It is essential to recognize the importance of taking time out of our busy schedules to press pause, reboot, reset, rejuvenate, and renew. This refreshing downtime away from the hustle culture we so often reside in, knowingly and willingly or not, in both our personal and professional lives, can be exactly what is necessary to regain the energy, focus, clarity, and drive to complete tasks, produce results, and generate prosperity, even more efficiently, effectively, and creatively.
Pressing pause for productivity is mandatory; whether we do it proactively or reactively is our call. Productivity thrives in the soil of consistency, clarity and stability, not in overdriven pinballing chaos. In order to eliminate unnecessary energy spike and depletion vacillations and results that lay in limbo somewhere fluctuating endlessly untamed between drought and overwhelm, we need to make a concerted effort to step back from our hectic schedules and not just find, but create time to recharge our batteries.
This downtime can take many forms, such as: actually taking your lunch break and not just working through it, enjoying a relaxing vacation, spending quality time with family and friends, indulging in a hobby, or simply taking an hour to read a book, go for a walk, watch a movie, or close your eyes and meditate for a few minutes. It is essential to prioritize this downtime in our busy schedules as it can help us to refocus and reenergize as we step back more mindfully into our busy-ness.
One of the primary benefits of pressing the pause button is the renewed sense of focus and clarity that comes with it. When we are constantly on the go, it can be challenging to maintain focus and clarity on our goals and priorities. Taking true pause time out of our busy schedules can help us to gain perspective and a clearer understanding of our priorities. We can reassess our goals and develop a renewed sense of focus and clarity, which ultimately leads to increased productivity and success.
Manifesting and embracing the opportunity to recharge our batteries is vital and yields a high ROI. We all need time to rest and rejuvenate, both physically and mentally. When we are constantly on the go, our bodies and minds can become exhausted, leading to burnout and decreased productivity. Taking time out to rest and recharge helps us to regain our energy and enthusiasm, which ultimately leads to increased productivity and creativity. Creating some downtime in your schedule is important, but this can also be a spontaneous act.
Oftentimes we spend unnecessary and unproductive time pining (and maybe even whining) at our desks over a problem we just can’t seem to solve, or an idea we just can’t seem to generate. Getting up out of your chair, away from the screen, and ‘taking a breather’ or a ‘brain break’ in the form of a 10 minute walk in the fresh air, will likely create the perfect environment for the solution to arise.
Understanding, appreciating, respecting, developing, and prioritizing the need for a more balanced approach to life is essential for long term success personally and professionally. When we are constantly focused on work and productivity, it can be easy to neglect other areas of our lives, such as our relationships, hobbies, and personal interests, which is draining and detrimental to overall well-being, healthy engagement, life balance and holistic productivity.
Carving out focused time can help us to develop a more balanced and integrative approach to life, where we can prioritize the necessary and desired components of our lives, not just work, and show up healthy, happy, whole and eager in all areas.
Pressing pause for productivity is an essential component of a healthy and successful life. It is essential to recognize the importance of taking time out of our busy schedules to reboot, reset, rejuvenate, and renew. This refreshing downtime away from the hustle culture we so often reside in can be exactly what is necessary to regain the energy, focus, clarity, and drive to complete tasks, produce results, and generate prosperity, both personally and professionally.
So, perhaps it’s time to take a break, relax, and press pause for productivity!
