Every single one of us can make time for it.
Yes, even in the world of back-to-back meetings, endless Zoom calls, travel time, and all of the other demands of our ever-growing Corporate calendars.
The truth is, hiding behind "busy" is easy. It has become our goal governer, our social crutch, and our go-to excuse for why not. Rather than get up and go for a walk, we can be stuck in back-to-backs for 8 hours a day. Instead of calling a friend to check in, we get to claim our calendars are too full. Instead of attending that event at school for our kids, we can have a meeting pop up that we're unable to avoid. We have all fallen victim to this being completely acceptable, and often even celebrated.
The harder truth is, we are not too busy. Not for 8 minutes and that is all it takes to make a significant difference. What is the power of 8 minutes?
- An 8-minute phone call -- Countless studies validate that hearing someone's voice is emotionally regulating and improves our sense of well-being. While we all want to pretend we're connected because we see our friends and family members on social media, that is not how we are designed to be connected. A phone conversation where you can hear tone, understanding, and empathy can make someone feel better in just 8 minutes. Calling someone just twice a week will have you feeling more connected 96x times this year
- An 8-minute walk -- It's 2 pm, you've not moved other than to grab a protein bar for lunch and you're slowly letting your eyes go crossed, sound familiar? We have normalized complete inactivity from 8-5 but we can break this cycle. Do you know what boosts energy, mood, and productivity? FRESH AIR!!! And you can get in 1000 steps or more in just 8 minutes x 20 work days a month and you will have walked 1/4 of a million more steps this year. *If it's cold, raining, etc. check this out
- An 8-minute meal -- There is nothing great about the protein bar breakfast or lunch, other than it is better than nothing at all but do you have to resort to just snacking? It is 2024. We live in a world that makes eating healthy easier than ever and the better news is that you can make A LOT of meals in just 8 minutes. A bowl of oatmeal takes 1:30, scrambled eggs take 3-4 minutes, top yogurt with some granola berries in 1:00, throw together a salad bowl, sandwich, or wrap in less than 5:00 -- you can probably make breakfast AND lunch in less than 8:00.
It takes awareness to stop using the "too busy" excuse. It takes discipline to take breaks from our ever-so-over-booked corporate calendars. It takes a commitment to doing better by ourselves and for one another. But the real truth is, WE DO HAVE 8 MINUTES. And 8:00 can be powerful so let's use them to accomplish exactly what is missing from our days to be better as employees, spouses, parents, family members, and friends.
Driving business success through the Salesforce platform
1 年Ah, Cora Miller. This is very solid. As a 100% virtual company, while we stage a lot of activities to keep our team engaged. And Wellness is an active program at Hunley. But when you're solo at home, no teammates at the standing desk next to you, what about the rest of the time? 8 minute walk outside makes a lotta sense; 8 minute Slack Huddle to just chat randomly with a teammate - particularly one you haven't spoken to lately - would be very energizing. Actionable stuff!
Communications Professional
1 年Bravo! Very thought provoking and well written, Cora.
AI Strategy & Value Architect - Father - Coach - Golfer
1 年You're a Natural
I help first line leaders go from transactional to transformational | Salesforce Coach of the Year
1 年Really important topic here Cora Miller! Great article and real life example breakdown as well. I have seen this first hand in real time from you consistently over the last 6 months walking the walk and talking the talk. Been there, done that, failed, tried again, got better, still not perfect but always working to be better to stay present, stay engaged, stay as balanced as I can, and prioritize my 8 minutes!
Founder and Entrepreneur * Innovation Leader* Passionate about Emerging Tech* Driving Business Transformation through Strategy and Innovation
1 年Thanks for sharing Cora Miller . Great Perspective!