I have been sick for the last week and it knocked me flat on my back, into the land of no energy or drive. I had not experienced this place for a few years, and while I am slowly crawling back into engaging in my life and my work, I realize that engaging with our inner selves is often just as important as engaging in our outer lives. When we address taking care of ourselves, we often overlook the necessity of truly engaging with our minds and bodies to learn what it is we need (in my case, rest). To be engaged is to be connected, present, open and attentive to what you are doing or feeling at a certain moment.
I did pretty well this past week. I canceled most of my external meetings, but still kept phone conferences and stayed busy working on my computer. I took more breaks, naps and had moments of doing absolutely nothing. I figured by now – a week later – whatever illness I had would be gone. It has now turned into a lingering cold – better than before, but still a drag on my system, my mind and my energy. So I will continue to give this part of myself the rest, care and the attention it deserves and remind myself that it’s ok to slow down and respect the part of me that wants to take a break. And yet, staying restful is hard when the world and people around me are constantly moving and multi-tasking. I begin to feel antsy and tired of lying around, not exercising and slowing down. I want to get up and get going.
So how does this translate into your work environment? In what ways are you not engaged with yourself and your colleagues? For example, think about how many times you haven’t answered an email because you just didn’t want to engage in a discussion about a certain topic. Now, how often do you do that with yourself – ignore something internally because it feels more convenient to put it off? Whether we fail to engage with our colleagues or with ourselves, this lack of engagement can only sabotage us. When we ignore or merely tolerate something rather than being honest and taking action on it, we create blind spots that slow us down and sap our energy.
So how can you become more transparent in your interactions with yourself and others when you may be intimidated by what others will think? Maybe it just takes the determination to act anyway, realizing that the only person you can change, and completely engage with, is you. You might notice that by staying engaged with yourself, those around you will begin to engage as well.
Work Well,
Katie
If you find this information valuable please forward on to a colleague or friend that could benefit it.
Listen to an inspirational interview on practical ideas and strategies for being a better boss and doing better business. http://www.theeisenagency.com/tms/
Have you signed up for my free six-part audio on Navigating Change? If not, go to my website www.katiebsmith.com to sign up and start the year with strategies that help you deal with change in your life.
To manage your subscription visit http://www.katiebsmith.com/newsletter.html
