December is always a busy month and the break is a great chance to re-energize and build momentum heading into 2019. The Energy Booster is a great resource this time of year as many of us are exhausted by the endless activities that are involved during the holiday season.
It is a simple activity that involves drawing three circles, each representing how much time you are spending in three core areas of your life.
- Self Care – Activities where you are taking care of you and adding health to your life (i.e. yoga, healthy eating, morning routine)
- Leisure – Activities that you enjoy doing and do because they are heart-filling (i.e. dinner with friends, hobbies)
- Productivity – Activities focused on achieving and striving (housework, work, school, getting the kids to hockey practice).
Almost six years ago now, I was sitting burned out on a hospital bed when a nurse asked me to draw these three circles, and it has changed the way I view my life. I had a very large circle for productivity as this is what mattered to me, a relatively solid circle for self-care as this would fuel my success, and a dot for leisure. This is what I have now come to know as a burnout profile.
The goal is not to necessarily have equal circles, as in reality, productivity will most likely be your largest one. Rather, the goal is to make sure you are building in enough recovery through leisure and self-care to keep the gas tank full!
I share this with you as the holidays can be stressful but also a time to refocus, re-energize and recalibrate.
