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"Take Five" to Simplify Your Life
Source: Shuster, Cynthia R., M.S. (2001). "Take
five": Simplify. Retrieved February 8, 2005 from
the Ohio State
University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences
website: http://ohioline.osu.edu/flm01/FS22.html
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“When your life is
full, you miss out on life.”
-Thomas Leonard
Far from being selfish or irresponsible, taking time for
yourself on a regular basis can make you a better parent,
spouse, worker—and a happier person as well. When you
take five to do something you like brain chemicals such as
serotonin and endorphins are released, triggering feelings
of
well-being. Increased demands on the job and at home have
made managing work and family life increasingly difficult
for all. Although originally considered just a woman's issue,
research indicates that men are as likely as women to have
difficulty managing work/life demands.
In her research on dual-career couples, Dr. Denise Skinner,
professor of Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin,
found that there are distinct differences in how men and
women use downtime. Men spend their downtime doing
what they want, and don't worry about it. Women typically use
downtime to become more organized.
According to Skinner, "Men possess more of a sense of
entitlement when it comes to time for themselves
whereas women tend to feel guilty if they take a few hours
off from their responsibilities," (as cited in
Ebron, 1996, p. 30).
How to Simplify
How do we break the spell and accept the invitation to
a freer life-style? Simplification is the key. You
can choose to be "Fast and Furious" or "Slow
and Easy." You must first let go of the attitudes
that
continually deny your health and happiness in an effort
to be responsible. The important thing is to keep
working on simplifying your life and finding ways to keep
it simple.
Try simplifying your work and/or home life with these techniques: |
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- Set realistic goals; simplify your expectations.
Life is filled with foibles, flaws, and imperfections.
- Mark one day off your calendar a month to "catch
up."
- Give yourself permission to play; schedule "Joy
Breaks"—fun in small doses. Get as good at
planning fun as you are now at scheduling work.
- Blend rewarding work with time for personal
refreshment.
- Plan a day to work at home once in a while.
- Schedule a breather. If you live by a calendar,
schedule one hour a day to allow some breathing
space. "Take Five" for yourself. Five minutes away
from your work area can have a dramatic effect
on your productivity.
- Schedule time to work on specific projects.
Give yourself time to work on these things by
scheduling work time in your calendar.
- De-clutter. Divide your desk or room at home
into sections. Pick one section and start de-cluttering.
Try handling things only once. Use three boxes or bags, marking
them: Keep, Give Away, and
Toss.
- Delegate. Stop trying to do everything yourself.
Let your spouse and children help with family
responsibilities.
- Rid yourself of old commitments and goals.
Stop to think about everything you're doing or working
towards. Does it still fit your life today? If not, stop
doing it or get rid of it as a goal.
- Take a "well" day. Enjoy doing
what you enjoy the most.
- Take a 1-minute speed whine. Find a friend, set a timer,
and take turns whining about everything
you can fit into 1 minute. If you whine fast enough, you'll
end up laughing—the best stress-buster
of all.
For most of us, work is an inescapable fact
of life—it is the way we obtain the physical necessities
of
existence. However, everyone needs to renew, recharge, and
relax. Only by breaking the chains of
busyness can we escape the prison of status quo and experience
life. You don't need to set aside hours to
reap the benefits of "Taking Five"—try building
little blocks of fun into your day.
"Life is what happens to you while
you're busy making other plans."
-John Lennon
Resources
Ebron, A. (1996). Why Goofing Off is Good for You. Family Circle,
February 1, 28-31.
Hansel, T. (1983). When I Relax I Feel Guilty. Elgin, Ill.: David
C. Cook Publishing.
Hill, E.J., Ferris, M., & Weitzman, M. (2001). Finding an
Extra Day a Week: The Positive Influence of
Perceived Job Flexibility in Work and Family Life Balance. Family
Relations, 50, 49-58.
Jenkins, M.P., Repetti, R.L., & Crouter, A.C. (2000). Work
and Family in the 1990s. Journal of Marriage
and Family 62, 981-995.
McGee-Cooper, A., Trammell, D. & Lau, B. (1992). You Don't
Have to Go Home From Work Exhausted!
Bantam Books.
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