Creating Time for Wellness
“I don’t have time for Wellness!”
In life we all have the same amount of time in the day, but we each have different abilities or resources to effectively utilize that time. Some of us are busier than others, and some choose to not be busy at all. Being “busy” is not necessarily good/bad or right/wrong. Being “busy” is a choice. What you consider busy may not feel busy to me or others. Being busy is all about perspective. We all choose how we want to spend our time and resources. Most of us choose what we feel will be the best for ourselves and loved ones. Some choose to focus on others and let themselves go by the wayside emotionally and physically. I contend that no matter how you choose to spend your time, personal wellness has to be one of your priorities if you want to be more effective in other areas of your life.
As I walk the halls of our facilities I frequently ask employees if they participate in the TanaBell Employee Wellness Program. More often than not, employees respond back with, “I am so busy, I don’t have time.” What I hear when an employee responds in such a manner is this, “I don’t care enough about myself and enough about the people who love me, to take the time to work on myself and my wellness.”
Telling ourselves that we are so busy we cannot take one hour a day for our wellness is telling ourselves a lie. Everybody has one hour a day they can give to themselves for exercise, meditation, or personal development. The most successful and “well” individuals I know are the busiest people I associate with. They are busy and they are always on the move, but they never miss a day or opportunity to work on themselves physically and emotionally. I profess that this is why they are so successful, they make time to do the right things and be well.
We all live in the same world and have similar problems, stresses, and challenges. The key to being well is to remove the distractions and unnecessary “time wasters” that keep us “busy” but do not provide us anything in way of wellness. The internet, Facebook, Instagram and others (while fun and informative) become the biggest time suckers and stress creators. These things are not necessarily bad, but they become our focus and we spend hours with our eyes on our smart phones and do not provide anything to ourselves in the way of wellness. Put the social media down and go for a walk. Unfriend the negative person on Facebook and sit down and write a financial budget. Stop Snapchatting pointless photos and call a loved one and tell them why you appreciate them. Unplug whatever it is you waste time on, and spend an hour a day on your wellness and your personal and physical development.
More often than not, when someone tells me they are too busy to work on wellness, the next breath they are telling their friends about the Netflix marathon they just had or the rant they posted on Instagram. Get up an hour earlier. Do whatever it takes! Most successful people do more in a morning than some do in a day. You may be surprised what you can accomplish by getting up one hour earlier!
When we are not focused on our wellness, we easily get caught in the excuse trap. “I have no time, I have no energy, I have no desire.” The facts prove that the more we exercise and get our bodies healthy, the more energy we have, and the better we feel. When we are well, we can focus more, prepare more, give more, and expect more of ourselves. So, stop making excuses, and let’s get well!
“Which pain are you choosing today? The Pain that comes with discipline or the pain that comes with regret?”
President, CEO
