Every day on my drive to work I cross over the Mosquito Creek causeway. Driving over the lake is always beautiful with the scenery of birds, and ice anglers in the winter and an array of boats and skiers in the summer.
Driving over the causeway twice a day, enjoying nature has provided me a moment to reflect both before and after work. Over the years, this time is important to me, preparing me for the day and reminding me to slow down and take a moment to pause.
We all live busy lives. Our workdays are busier. Digital technology has extended work into late hours. Our work/life balance suffers. Recently, at our Extension Annual Conference, keynote speaker Theresa Glomb gave an inspiring talk on how we can improve our work and home lives. She shared a relatable message with the following action steps:
Work Hard
Have Fun
Choose Kind
Be Present
Work Hard–
Create a routine to accomplish goals or make significant progress on a project.
Plan for 60-90 minutes of uninterrupted work.
Have Fun–
Create a positive work environment.
Reflect on one good thing that happened during the weekday.
Share positive events with team members.
Choose Kind–
Ask a co-worker how their evening was last night.
Give a compliment for a job well done.
Be respectful.
Be Present–
Pay attention. Focus on the task.
Engage in mindful practices daily.
Pause before answering a question, text, or mail.
This advice is easy to remember and a simple tenet of how we can choose to spend our days in a more meaningful way. Take a moment today to pause…. What strategies will you incorporate into your daily life?
Written by: Beth Stefura, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Mahoning County, stefura.2@osu.edu
Reviewed by: Donna Green, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Erie County, green.308@osu.edu
Sources:
As my picture shows, the person made it through without being hit by a train but they damaged the safety bar at this railroad crossing – I’m sure their car was also damaged. We called the number of the RR company and the sheriff to report this violation.