Productive or Stressed Busy?

Larry Davis’s

STRESS TIP #12. Where Have All the Margins Gone?

Dr. Richard A. Swenson, M.D., in his book Margin:?Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, says this:?"Margin is the space that used to exist between ourselves and our limits."

Just think back to the last few people you greeted.?When you asked them how they were, was their response, "I’ve been so busy!"? It seems to be the most common answer.?You see, we have become a culture that despises margins.?We tend not to admire those who have time on their hands, because instead we value productivity.?

Do you find yourself doing that??Do you measure your day by how “productive” you were??What if we weren’t living with every moment of every day planned out??What if every single day contained some breathing room??

How about taking some baby steps this week to increase the margin in your life??Here are three simple ideas:

1.?Drive with the radio off the next time you're in the car.???Welcome the quiet.?

2.?Take a walk with a loved one.?It clears the mind and provides the space to really connect with each other.

3.?Cut out one hour of TV, and spend that time thinking about how you can create more margins in your life, whether they are time margins, energy margins, or financial margins.?What can you live without??

Remember, being busy to feel productive can be counter- productive. Give yourself some down time or quiet time so you have some margins between productive busy time and “you time”.?

What do you think??Let me know.