Thrive In Five: Beware of Overscheduling

overscheduling blank diary with nothing scheduled

This week’s thrive in five is about overscheduling and the impact that has on our recovery

This week I’m sharing my thoughts on overscheduling and the impact it can have on our wellbeing. So certainly for me, one of the things I’ve really enjoyed about the last 12 months (because I do try and take the positives out of these things), is the fact that there’s been very little in the schedule. There’s been a couple of times, particularly in lockdown one, when I thought, what are we doing this weekend? Must be doing something. Looked in the diary, nothing. Admittedly it took time to get used to that.

On reflection, it’s actually really nice to have a thinner calendar. Now, I appreciate your work calendar may not have got thinner and may have got bigger, but certainly the weekends we have a little bit more control over. If you’ve enjoyed having greater autonomy and freedom at the weekends, because you’re less scheduled, think about trying to retain that.

Making space in the times you can control

That engagement free day could become a spontaneous day where you can go off and do anything you fancy because nothing’s in the diary. Making time and space to do nothing, do what you feel like and having freedom around that time is so important for our wellbeing.

Over yessing

I’m also just going to think a bit harder before I say yes to things. So I’m really thinking hard before I say yes to something, because it’s all too easy to think: Oh the concert, yeah sounds great! (’cause it’s eight months away). Say yes to it, the date comes along and I’m not actually that bothered about going out.

Make sure the things you say yes to don’t eat up that personal space and time needed for downtime and recovery.

Overscheduling, under recovered

So, I appreciate all of this isn’t very rock and roll, but I think a lot of us can become a little bit over-scheduled and as a result, a little bit more under-recovered, or a bit less recovered.

So that’s it, have a think about that idea of being wary of overscheduling.

All the very best for now, stay healthy as always.

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