Yesterday I was asked to offer one of my productivity hacks at the HealthTech conference. The word ‘hack’ itself suggests some form of automation combined with the word ‘productivity’. However, some of the most meaningful things can’t be sped up.
So then what do you do? My response to the question was learning how to be better at saying no. Saying no to things that aren’t aligned with your goals.
Sometimes saying no is saying yes to yourself. Today I had signed up for a half marathon but was tired from a busy week and some important meetings. I went out to dinner with my parents instead of staying at home and getting ready for the race. I also didn’t want to spend hours in the car back and forth from the location. Oh and probably the most rational reason is that my calf muscle isn’t back to normal yet.
So I said no to the race and yes to having a relaxing and peaceful day. I even got my grocery shopping done today too!
As nurses, we get used to being on the run and taking care of other people before taking care of ourselves. It is a hard habit to break. We also tend to want (and think) we can do it all by ourselves. That’s how we get burnt out. We just can’t be everything to everyone. Something has to give and it shouldn’t result in it being you.
Did you do something for yourself this weekend (because I’m sure you did something for someone else 
?)?
Post originally appeared on Dr. Tiffany Kelley RN’s facebook page linked here.
