The Outsourced Life

House Cleaner. Gardener. Dog walker. Meal delivery. Organizer.

So many services and still so little time (and so much stress).

Over the years, have you found yourself adding on to your professional staff of life "helpers"? I'm talking about all those people and services that we hire to presumably make life run a bit smoother, cleaner, sweeter, while we focus on the rest of life?

If you have outsourced some of these services, you likely have added at least 10 hours each week back into your life.

That's a good chunk of time to spend doing other things that really bring you joy...BUT are you actually using these “bonus” hours in a way that enriches your life and reduces stress and exhaustion from all that you have on your plate? Or, are you spending more time doing things that continue to drain you?

Is your out-source equation benefiting you or actually depleting your resources even further.

If you are using the extra hours to enjoy more play time, relaxation and rejuvenation - job well done, keep it up! If you still find yourself sapped at the end of the week, it might be time to step back and take a look at the activities that you are outsourcing. Often our outsourced services are actually activities that bring us a sense of calm.

If you are in need of a little peace and quiet in your daily ritual, you may not need to look beyond your everyday chores.

When we streamline our daily agenda to maximize work efficiency, we inadvertently filter out activities that can reduce stress and provide a sense of flow. Take another look at the list -

Gardening
Walking the dog
Cleaning the house
Cooking or baking
Organizing files, clothes, photos...

I often find that items from the above list are identified by clients when we talk about things that they used to do when they had "free" time and wanted to zone out. They are also the first to go when life gets just a bit too chaotic. Which, if any of these, might allow you to unwind, put your mind on pause and enjoy the present moment?

Could your mind, body and soul benefit from a little gardening followed by some cooking and a sunset stroll with your pooch?