By Beth Bond

It’s a weekday.

You wake up and whats the first thing that comes to mind? - Probably the last thing on your mind from the night before…
You start going over the ever-changing, ever-growing, ever-DAUNTING list of “Things To Do”.

This continues as you shower, change, brush your teeth and try to grab something with more nutritional value points than a cup of coffee before heading out the door.

What do I have to do today? Strike that, what do I still have to do from last week? Last month?

The commute to work, whether by train/plane/automobile, may be filled with calls, e-mails or catching up on current events… but you didn’t need talk radio to remind you we’re in the middle of a recession…

Walking into the office is like walking into a black hole… with florescent lighting.

You attack your e-mail inbox, trying to decrease the number of tasks on your list on-by-one. Task after task pops up, the phone keeps ringing, consultations run over… or don’t even show and the next thing you know, it’s 6:30 PM.

Now- on your way home and until your head hits the pillow, you’re going over your checklist and adding new tasks, or old, to your list for the next day.

In accounting for your time, what did you forget!?!?

I’ll tell you-
You forgot to Breathe.
Well, not the actual action. But you forgot to make time to do this  and only this.

You can read studies on stress techniques all day long. But who has time?

Would it make a difference if I told you it is 100% proven that taking four Mini-breaks over the course of your day lasting, in time, as little as 1 ½ – 2 minutes would help your stress levels and overall, make you more productive?
You also might not be headed for a quadruple bypass by the time you hit 35 degrees.

Taking, literally, 1½ minutes to breathe throughout your day- the time it takes you to go get coffee, which has the opposite effect you're looking for- not only clears your mind but improves your perspective on the actual work load you have before you.

I, personally, am not at all cognizant of taking time to breathe throughout my day.

But- for those of you who, like me, would rather work than take a break, to align my “shakras” throughout the day- there is hope!

I found this FREE application online- rather, it was forwarded to me- that, throughout the day, consistently reminds me to take a 1-2 minute stretch/breathing break.
Unless I take a break- or set it on ignore- it will pop up on my screen like my mother telling me to CALM DOWN!

Now, I do, quite often, press to ignore. But in doing this, it makes me aware every time I'm neglecting myself. Every time I neglect to stop and breathe. When it takes such little time, why not?

When I have time, I will. No- when I find time, I will. But- time is something that doesn't often just appear for us. We have to find it. We have to make time- which isn’t easy to do.

So- let the wonders of the technological world help you out. Download this little application and maybe after a week- you'll be scheduling your own mini-relaxation sessions even if only for 60 seconds.

Get a 30-day trial @ http://www.southpacificsoftware.com/. The application is called Peak Performance.

As, I’d love more to add to my list of things to do- Is anybody aware of any other methods or applications?

What do you do to take time for yourself everyday?

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