Survival techniques aren’t necessarily all about our ability to manage our flight/fight responses to stressful situations. They’re the little things we do to get through our daily lives.
Lets face it, life would be pretty mundane if all we ever did was work, look after the house or the kids. And we all know that with a little encouragement and motivation we perform better. In fact many of us work for managers that don’t fully appreciate what we do and whoever thanks you for the tidy house or the kids being taken to school. So what is it that really helps you get through the day? What little rewards do you give yourself to say thank you for your hard work?
Motivation like charity often begins at home. So next time you feel under-appreciated think that its possible to give yourself that little bit of a reward, whether it be a gift to yourself or a kind word.
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Here’s a few of my favourites to get me through the day:
Make sure that you take a little “me time” – we are often so busy wrapped up in what everyone else needs make sure you take time out to do what you want to do. Maybe its making sure you get to your favourite gym class. You never have any trouble getting the kids to ballet or scouts so give yourself the same courtesy. Maybe its simply shutting the door on the bathroom and having a nice long soak with candles or a favourite book. It might be just taking the dog for a walk. Whatever it is – dedicate it to you! And make it part of your routine.
Take the time to say thanks – if someone had done you a favour – you’d remember your manners and say “thanks” – you may even buy a small gift or thank you card, but how often do you allow yourself the same courtesy. Whatever works for you. It could be as straight forward as acknowledging the effort that went into the task, or you might want to reward yourself with a simple gift, that bar of chocolate, glass of wine, or a bunch of flowers. Let’s face it only you know what its worth.
Give yourself some motivation – In the workplace we are often motivated by getting the task finished, meeting a deadline, making a customer happy etc, but sometimes these motivators don’t exist. Its easy to create our own. So when ploughing through that housework, why not promise yourself 10 minutes with a coffee when you’ve finished. Perhaps you’d be motivated more by a weekly personal treat when you do the shopping if you’ve achieved everything you wanted to do this week. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive so why not?
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