When is it time for an Emergency Time Out?
JULY, 22 2021
Is there ever a right time to take a time out?
You’re busy doing your thing. Life is hectic. Everyone wants a piece of you and it feels good that everyone needs you.
It feels nice to be needed. Right?? You’re in demand. Your opinion is wanted, your guidance sought after. People are queueing at your door to pick your brains.
You feel good.
But you are exhausted, overwhelmed and you need a break.
You need a break from the demands, the deadlines and the endless requests.
You can’t do it anymore, but you don’t know how to stop, or when to stop.
When is the right time to stop?
The truth is you probably need it just before you realise it’s time you need it!!
You’re probably feel some (or all) of the following:
- Feeling cross all the time
- Living on your nerves
- Feeling on high alert all the time
- Not sleeping
- Feel pressured and everything feels intense.
- Irritable
- Unreasonable
- Teary
- Every email and WhatsApp message is just one too far!
- All of the above!!
STOP – Just STOP!
You need to make yourself the priority and take an emergency Time Out!
A Time Out was coined for getting children to stop and take some quiet time to calm them down – it usually lasts between 2 and 5 minutes for toddlers and preschoolers. A classic rule is to give 1 minute of time-out for every year of the child’s age.
There is no “correct” or ideal amount of time for a time out break – do what works for you.
So if you’re a stressed out 40 something – why not try the same principle! Why not – we do it for our little ones!!
Taking a Time Out for adults is a classic, anger management tool (but it can also be applied to any other heightened emotional state). It sounds simple, too simple, and it is on an intellectual level, but it can be quite challenging to mimplement when you can’t see past the list of priorities you have. And it’s hard to do it for ourselves – we find it hard to make ourselves the priority!
Often we’d reach for the wine, the telephone, call a friend, book a massage or a spa day if we’re lucky, but it doesn’t solve the problem in the longer term.
Could you try a grown up Time Out?
Take a Timeout to step out of your emotional overload and overwhelm. A timeout allows you to hit “pause.”
Sometimes we need permission to take care of ourselves on a regular basis.
Timeouts are great for children and adults too!
Here are just 5 of many, many ways to set structure without beating yourself up!
- Recognise your triggers
- Set your boundaries within reason
- Discover what is really going on
- Get some help
- Don’t lose your sh*t – talk it out!
- Be kind to yourself – you’re only human and we are all work in progress!
Life is busy, we all feel overloaded from time to time. Learning how to read yourself and how to manage yourself will help you in the long term.
Try taking an adult Time Out and let me know how you get on.