Why friends and family can cost you…

Why friends and family can cost you…

Sometimes I still get overwhelmed by the feeling that I have to respond to every call or request I get from friends and family to spend time together.

In the past my weekends and holidays used to be filled with almost no time to breathe in between appointments, and when you stack one meeting after the other that’s what it’s starting to feel like: appointments, obligations even, instead of fun activities with friends and family.?

When you keep on saying ‘yes’ to everything else, sometimes you can end up saying ‘no’ to what it is you need at the moment. Through the years I’ve discovered that leaving some space open in my calendar actually feels very liberating. It gives me the chance to relax and do nothing or binge watch some shows I like (if I feel that’s what I need or want to do), or even to jump in the car for a spontaneous activity with my own little family.?

These days I’ve put up a rule for myself that I won’t engage in more than 2 activities a day - often even leaving it at 1- during the weekend, which is giving me the space to unwind and enjoy everything with so much more intensity.

Always apologizing or justifying yourself why you can’t (or won’t) make it to an encounter, is going to drain your energy levels. I remember writing half textbooks of messages explaining why I couldn’t make it to an invitation, and still end up feeling like I was disappointing them.

While now, I just respond that I can’t make it, and if I feel like doing something with the person in question, I will send them back some alternatives that would work better for me, which gives them the space to see if that works for them as well.?

Everybody happy, and you will feel a lot more relaxed and energetic! ??

Shine on! ??