Living in Calmfidence® Compartments
Give the gift of your full attention to yourself and others.
1. Live in hour-tight compartments.
In the famous book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie talks about living in day-tight compartments. Learning to focus on one day at a time instead of worrying about yesterday, today, and tomorrow simultaneously. This is terrific advice to counteract stress and anxiety. But when we chunk our day down even further into digestible bites in planned time frames, it allows us to fully focus on one main thing we want or need to accomplish throughout the day. The result – we feel less overwhelmed and actually become more productive.
2. Set a timer for reminders, and to stick to the length of time you have committed to.
3. Schedule in time for the important things like self-care, relaxation, time with family and friends.
Pay particular attention those things that you never seem to have enough time for and ultimately regret that you didn’t get to.
4. When you are with someone in person, over the phone or on a video call, aim to give them your full-undivided attention.
This is a rare and much needed type of attention that human beings crave. People can tell when they don’t have it. They may not always remember what you say but they will remember how you made them feel. Make them feel that they are the most important person in the moment.
5. Prioritize your to-do list with the things that must get done today followed by things that would be ok to push until tomorrow.
6. Be conscious of things that a steal your attention away without you even realizing it.
Turn off notifications during time frames that require your full attention. Turn off your phone. If social media is something you enjoy or even need to use for work purposes, designate a specific time for it, instead of checking it randomly – it is a notorious thief that wants to steal your time and focus.
7. Run your own race.
Tend to your own garden. Do not compare and despair. Spend time carefully cultivating your goals, dreams, and experiences and don’t get caught up in what it “looks” like other people are achieving (they are only showing you their highlight reel any way. You will rarely see the bad days.) And on the flipside, you may not realize all the time and hard work that went into someone else’s success that appears so easy from the outside looking in.
8. Remind yourself that every person in the world gets the same 24 hours and day, 7 days a week.
Make the most of the time that has been given to you but remember that means a balance between achieving, believing, resting, and sharing with others.
This Week’s Calmfidence® CalmTail:
Cinnamon Hot Honey Bun
Cinnamon not only smells like wonderful memories of warm baked goods and yummy breakfast delights but research shows that cinnamon is helpful for regulating your blood sugar and is filled with stress-busting nutrients. Sitting down with a warm cup of tea relaxes our body mind and spirit. Set yourself up with a Cinnamon Hot Honey Bun at night instead of an alcoholic or caffeinated beverage to unwind into a place of calm:
Step 1:
Place a full cinnamon stick in a pot or pan with 1.5 cups of water.
Step 2:
Let the water come to a rolling boil.
Step 3:
Turn off the flame and let the pot just sit for a few minutes.
Step 4:
Carefully remove the cinnamon stick.
Step 5:
Pour the tea into a mug or teacup.
Step 6:
Add honey to desired sweetness (honey has a calming effect, improves mood, and some studies show reduces anxiety and even aids in better sleep by helping your brain release melatonin).
Simple and sweet!
