On January 27th, TEN proudly presented and hosted its first webinar: ‘Reclaim your time’. The event, hosted by Suzanne Van Heerde, resulted in a cozy environment and deep open conversation between the audience and the two guest speakers, Emma Vloeimans and Arindy Melati. These two inspirational women provided precious insights into their conception of time and offered the audience interesting tips and tricks to reclaim their time. With their different backgrounds and characters, Emma and Arindy were able to provide a broad overview of the topic, making it unique and interesting.
When we think about time, perhaps the first image that comes to our mind is the clock hands spinning. We rarely stop for a second from our hectic lives, just to think about time. And if we do, coming up with a definition might not be the easiest task. The dictionary defines it as: ‘The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole’.
Although this is an interesting and appealing definition, still this topic keeps hunting my and many others’ minds. Time can be fascinating and scary at the same time, it walks hand in hand in our existence and yet cannot be easily conceptualized. How can we then reclaim our time if time itself seems to slip through our fingers?
An old Italian proverb says ‘Il tempo vola quando si sta bene’, which translates into ‘Time flies when you’re having fun. This might be the case during holidays when suddenly you have to pack your suitcase to fly back wishing you had more time. However, the opposite might happen as well. Perhaps during a job interview when time seems to stand still like a boulder in the room, and seconds become hours.
The struggles related to time are not just a few, and sometimes it might take us a long time before figuring out the right balance. Dedicating enough time to ourselves is vital for our wellbeing, as much as learning how not to work overtime corroding our mental health.
Here for you, TEN steps for reclaiming your time. It is a process, and as such it might not be easy, but you need to remember something: you matter, and your time does too.
- Start your day by taking some time for yourself. Connect with your inner self and be ready for a new day.
- Listen to podcasts and read books consistently.
- Ask yourself the right questions from time to time.
- Learn how to say no, set boundaries for yourself.
- Don’t push the things you can’t do, go and follow the flow instead.
- Feeling overwhelmed from time to time is part of the deal.
- Think about what you can do in the moments that you have in the present.
- Learn how to recognize what you want and what will serve your bigger purpose.
- Time is precious, spend it wisely.
- Be vulnerable about your growth process, and be open to reclaiming your time.
Here are some Podcasts suggestions from Emma:
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Leef Je Mooiste Leven van Michael Pilarczyk – In Dutch
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty – In English
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Power Hour by Adrienne Herbert – In English
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Delicious Ways to Feel Better by Ella Mills – In English.
