This global village that we live in and the people that we now interact with have placed expectations on us to respond to every contact/email/phone call instantaneously, and causes us to place those same expectations on others. In a world where information and resources are immediately available to us, we expect others to be instantly available to us as well.
When you get an email or phone call, do you feel the need to respond right away? When you send an email or call someone, do you get offended if they don’t respond right away? This is the influence that this global village is placing upon us, and it has put undue stress on us.
Of course we have to be responsible and responsive. In fact, I am notorious for responding instantly to emails. However, I personally have found that we need to make time for personal retreats away from the busy routine, and the one place that we still have to escape from the global village is the wilderness. It is there that we experience what the world was originally like…and the only expectation that we have is that we will be refreshed. I recommend that everyone try to get outside and get away from the normal routine of life every once in a while and see how much of a grip these expectations hold on you. By disciplining ourselves to let go of our global village for a few hours or days on a retreat, we can all live much more stress-free lives, and at the same time still be productive. That is the reason we act in these “instant-response” ways right? We fear losing productivity. Well think about the last time you were stress-free. You can think clearer, make decisions better, handle challenges better…and be more productive. Don’t forget to let work go every once in a while and enjoy the creation…enjoy being outside and being refreshed.
If you’re interested in reading more about having a work-life balance, check out the WebMD site.
READ PART 4: Click Here to read “Getting Away from the Normal Routine of Life”
