How can you take advantage of your minutes without being controlled by the clock? Time management, or life management, is not about saving seconds and minutes cleaning the bathrooms and the kitchen faster. I believe that mind-set only makes you more anxious because you are trying to beat the clock. That will never happen. Rather, what can you do when you have one, five, ten, twenty minutes open between appointments, waiting for a child to get into the car, or consciously taking the five or ten minutes to do the following:
Do You Have One Minute?
* Read a favorite, uplifting quote everyday.
* Close your eyes and connect with your inner spirit, power of purpose, focus, health, love, and creativity.
* Have an imaginary jump rope at your desk and jump rope, starting with one foot, then two feet and then the other foot and repeat for the whole minute. This is a great way to build up strong bones and gets your blood circulated and oxygen to the brain for better concentration and focus.
* Say daily Positive Mantas, including one for mind, one for body, and one for your spirit.
* Think positive, loving thoughts and send them out to the universe. It will help you de-stress and get centered.
* Shut your eyes and breathe deeply for one whole minute.
* Fill a glass of water and drink it.
Do you have Five Minutes?
* Read a few pages of an inspiring book or prayer or mediation.
* Stretch legs, arms, shoulders, neck, hands, and take deep breaths.
* Look at your calendar and get familiar with your day and schedule - perhaps you need to reschedule so that you alleviate unnecessary stress.
* Return a call (keep it to five minutes.)
* Make a call to a loved one and say "I love you" (keep it to five minutes.)
* Take your vitamins.
* Do kegel exercises, squats, and lunges while talking on the phone.
* Clean up email and delete spam.
* Call you significant other and say, "I love you - I was thinking of you."
* Call one of your children after school to say the same thing. Those few minutes go a long way in establishing and reaffirming a loving bond between you and your child.
* Do sit ups for five minutes
* Write a "thank you" card and mail it.
* Make yourself a veggie juice. This is the recipe I use, but you can modify it if you wish (take five minutes to make and clean up):
In a juicer, juice
o Three organic carrots
o One stalk organic celery
o Large handful of fresh organic spinach
o One organic gala apple
It's delicious and helps you towards reaching the nine fruits/veggies a day goal that the Cancer Society recommends.
If working women use these time management tips, they will be re-invigorated in mind and spirit and the body will follow suite.
