NNBA Featured Expert

“Time out” is not just for Misbehaving Children

By Dr. Dolores Fazzino, DNP, FNP-BC, CRNFA

You are overwhelmed. You are an amazing, intelligent, powerful corporate business success story. You have broken through the glass ceiling of your industry, yet somehow you are under so much stress, pressure, and overwhelm to produce or “do” that everything no longer seems to make any sense.

There are deadlines and timelines not only in your business life, but in your personal life as well. Our natural tendency is to over commit time and our life to things that really do not nurture and serve us. We feel this overwhelming responsibility. And saying “No” can tug at our heart strings.

Maybe one day, you wake up and just feel the pressure of it all. Have you ever thought, is this all there is in life? Did I sell myself short? Or this definitely was not what I signed up to for?

Do you ever feel as if you want to take a “Time-Out” from your current life just for yourself and your sanity?

Yet, you feel guilty for even thinking this. Your thoughts automatically go to “I should be doing ____Or I am way too exhausted to make time for others, never mind me”. Or what will my colleagues think? Or what will everyone else think? Isn’t interesting that we are always concerned about what others think, which in reality, they really do not even care.

You may ask “How does it get even better than this?” It all begins with allowing and giving yourself permission to step away from “the overwhelm”. Place yourself on “Time Out”. Not that you are bad or misbehaving, but to allow yourself to get a different perspective on things.

I recall being in graduate school and deadlines for papers were looming, I would be overwhelmed. Rarely was I able to create from that space, I am sure you can relate to this. I learned that when I disconnected from the task at hand, by either going for a walk or taking a nap, I came back with a renewed energy and a new view point. From there I was able to create from a new space and gain more productivity in a shorter amount of time. I actually accomplished more in less time, imagine that!

I have continued to connect to this aspect of myself in my everyday life as a busy professional and entrepreneur.

Here are 5 “TIME-OUT” Strategies that can add more sanity in your overwhelmed life.

1. Stop what you are “doing!” Give yourself permission and allow yourself to do this. If you are efforting or forcing something to happen, maybe it is time to briefly step away. Remember that less is more. Simplicity, grace, and ease allows us to decrease the overwhelm.
2. Clear your mind. Step outside in nature, even a short walk will change your perspective. Fresh air is good, breathing fresh air is even better!
3. Take a nap! Sometimes the only way to reset ourselves is to take a short or long nap. You may even gain some insight or a solution to your overwhelming issue!
4. Mindful strategies, such as meditation. Shutting off the world for even 10 minutes can increase your productivity, allowing you to accomplish more in less time. It is funny how that works, and it does!
5. Attend the Radiant Soul Retreat to Reconnect, Align, and Soar. Reconnect to you, align with your inner Rebel, and Soar to your success. https://recoveringhealthcare.com/radiant-soul-retreat/

Dolores Fazzino, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, CRNFA became an entrepreneur in 1994. She is an author, speaker, and corporate consultant to empower and educate her clients to take ownership of their health and wellness through retreats, seminars, and webinars.