Guest Blog by Nita Ewald, Holistic Health and Fertility Coach.
The holidays are filled with joy, feasts, family gatherings and more. Unfortunately, the holidays can come so fast that it startles you. Gifts buying and wrapping, cocktail parties, volunteering, holiday recitals, decorating, baking holiday goodies…. the list goes on. You feel like you don’t have enough time to do everything on your to-do list. The pressure and the stress may not seem to let up until the first of 2017. However, it is important to remember that your time is exactly that: your time. You have the power to use your time as you deem fit. This means during the holidays, during your fertility struggle and throughout your life.
The idea that there isn’t enough time is just an idea. It is not an inarguable truth. However, it might be true that you don’t have enough time to do everything all at once. It is probably true that you sometimes try to get more done than is humanly possible. However, the idea that time is in short supply is just a thought. This is simply a belief and it’s not an empowering one. It leads to rushing and attempting to cram too much into your day. It leads to complete dissatisfaction.
We all have exactly 24 hours each day. Is that a little? Is that a lot? It isn’t either one of these. Instead, it is “what it is”. It’s perfect. It’s not too much. It’s not too little.
Want to know what is truly more important than worrying about the time you are given? It is what you do with the time you’re given. Time is a non-renewable resource. When you find something that is important to you, choose to believe that you will have enough time for it – no matter what. Ultimately, using your time well means knowing your priorities and then choosing to focus on them.
Prioritize What is Most Important
The real issue is not whether you have enough time. The real issue is whether you are using your time well. Do you know what your true priorities are? Clarifying your priorities sometimes requires being honest with yourself and making some tough choices. This includes events during the holidays. You must decide between which gatherings are most important and which ones can be left behind. Maybe there is a weekend you want to block out for no obligations.
In Steven’s Covey’s bestselling book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, he explains how every activity we do during the day can be put into one of four categories:
1. Urgent and Important
2. Not Urgent and Important
3. Urgent and Not Important
4. Not Urgent and Not Important
Ideally you would be spending your time on only important activities that would fall into either category 1 or 2. However, if you are like most people, the majority of your time is spent on categories 1, 3, and 4 and not enough time is spent on category 2.
Paying your water bill and taking out trash or feeding the dog are example of category 1 and 3. Working with a health coach or reading a book that increases your knowledge about your fertility is not urgent but very important (category 2).
Scheduling important but not urgent items is very important. Because these items are not urgent, there is a tendency to put them off until later. Frequently, you keep putting them off indefinitely because your days and weeks always seem to fill up with activities from the other categories. Identify actions which fit into category 2. Then decide which ones are the highest priority. Then schedule time in your calendar for working on them.
It is a very good idea to spend 10 – 15 minutes at the beginning of every week to identify your priorities of the week. When you do this weekly planning, you can include as many category 2 items as possible and schedule time to work on them. Review the other categories as well and prioritize your tasks accordingly.
Saying No
Being able to say no can be challenging, but whenever you say yes to something, you are inadvertently saying no to many other things. The consequences of not setting a boundary when you should are frequently much greater than you realize.
During the holidays, it can be easy to say yes more often due to the spirit of the season. However, you must remember that your conception journey is relying heavily on your stress levels. Keep it cool.
The number one best reason to say no more often is that you have more time and energy for focusing on your biggest dreams.
For example, someone may ask you to volunteer for the fourth Christmas meal in the upcoming month. Do you have time? No. Will you be stressed if you take the bait? Yes. Should you do it? No.
Do not run yourself ragged trying to please everyone all the time. Saying no is not denying someone of something. Instead, it is giving yourself peace of mind and your other important tasks priority in your life.
Being Selfish in a Healthy Way
Being selfish in a healthy way is about taking excellent care of yourself so that you’re more resourceful, powerful and attractive. This means “scheduling” time for self-care during your week. This will look different to everyone. You may want to read a book, take a long bath or write in a journal. Whatever it is that gives you strength, do it. It is healthy to take time for you.
You must remember that your future baby deserves to grow in a habitat that is stress-free and joyful as stress can impede conception. Click here to learn about the impact of stress to your fertility and how to destress.
It is not an issue of “not enough time”. It is simply you taking on more than you know and losing more than you realize. Learn to prioritize. Learn to say no. Take time for self-care during your busy week. Gather you thought and remember how you want to feel this holiday season. Centered? Connected? Spacious? Try to look at the holidays with your well-being in mind. All of these things can give you your inner strength back and create a happier you!
Holistic Health and Fertility Coach Nita Ewald’s work and passion are all about empowering women to achieve total wellness, specifically during preconception, conception and pregnancy to help ensure the birth of healthy children. From proper nutrition to finding potential obstacles in conceiving, Nita shares concrete ways women can improve their ability to conceive, experience non-problematic pregnancies, and deliver healthy, wholly-developed babies.
Delilah says
Have to show this post to my Husband and tell him to spend time with all of us. Thanks for sharing the great content 🙂
Julia Kruz says
The further I live I understand that time is not enough, life is fleeting and changing:( Thx for sharing!
Bella Hardy says
I saw a video in YouTube about how people think that time starts to flow faster with age. In short, the conclusion is that you must live every day actively with happiness!