Stephanie Houseman, DMD, Coach, Author, Speaker, is the creator of the 7 Steps 2 a Balanced Life Program(TM). She works with professionals who feel their life is a juggling act and helps them to discover how to have more joy and more LIFE in their life. She is committed to assisting you in restoring balance in your personal and professional life.
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January 13, 2009

 Meet the Time Out Chair for Adults

 

Remember the time out chair?  The one you had to sit in when you were misbehaving. Or the one you made your children sit in when they were misbehaving.  One was supposed to use that time to quiet oneself down and think about his or her behavior. And never do it again. Well, maybe.

 

The time out chair was a punishment. 

 

Not this chair!

 

Meet the time out chair for adults.  It's a reward!   

 

Many of us are exhausted because we are obsessed with activity. We're always on the go, always thinking, and always doing. There's always something else to be done and it has to be done NOW. 

 

Whoa, wait a minute.  Whatever happened to stillness?  Stillness is that refreshing freedom you feel when you STOP.   Stillness is being in the time out chair for adults. 

 

How long you stay is up to you, but do stay long enough to reap your rewards.

 

Time-out is a time for nurturing yourself with Tender Loving Care.   Do something for you.  Get a massage, take a walk, do yoga, eat a healthy snack, take a nap.  Make yourself number one during this time. (You don't literally have to be sitting in the time out chair.)

 

It is also a time to get centered.  Listen to your genuine voice, which becomes louder when all is still. Reflect on your values and your activities.  Are they in alignment or is something amiss?  How well-balanced is your life?  Have your priorities been placed on the back burner?  How happy are you with your present life?  What needs changed?

 

Reconnect with your purpose, which can easily get lost in the hustle and bustle of your life.  That alone will give your energy a boost. 

 

Have a decision to make?  Regain your focus and think more clearly, away from all the distractions. 

 

New ideas will flow to you during your time-out.  Your creative mind kicks in and takes you to places that are calling out your name, if you'll only listen.  Open your mind to new opportunities, new ideas, and new possibilities.

 

It is also a time to just be still.  Close your eyes and quiet your mind (meditate on one word only).  Feel the peace.

 

I encourage you to make the time to sit in the adult time out chair.  Even if you have only five or ten minutes a day, you will still be rewarded.  You will emerge from the chair with your batteries recharged, feeling physically rested and mentally refreshed.

 
 

 

"True silence is the rest of the mind, and it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body - nourishment and refreshment."

            William Penn

 

"It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, at it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts."

            K.T. Jong

 

"We visit others as a matter of social obligation.  How long has it been since we have visited with ourselves?"

            Morris Adler

 

"When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself.  When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world."

            Eckhart Tolle

 

 

I love my time out chair and have used it for as long as I can remember. No matter how crazy life got (even when my children were young) I would still have a seat.  To this day, I get out of sorts when my seat is empty.

 

If you are one of those people who just cannot stop, try the time out chair for one minute (set the timer if you have to).  Give yourself a chance to be in the moment.  Then gradually increase the amount of time you spend there until you realize that if it went away, you would miss it. 

 

It's back!  You won't find me in my time out chair when 24 is on TV.  You go Jack!

 

Have a fantastic week and say hello to the time out chair.

 

Stephanie

 

P.S.  I can't open my e-mail without reading about facebook, twitter, pulse, linkedin and the rest of the networks.  I do have a LinkedIn page so send me an e-note from there if you would like to connect.

 

 

 



We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much!

Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com 

Copyright 2009 - Dr. Stephanie Houseman


 


Dr. Stephanie Houseman
Jerseyville , IL 62052 , USA