Achieve Balance: The Self-Care + Productivity Hack You Need

“Love” is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete. —Plato

Do you ever struggle with finding the motivation to get things done while also caring for yourself? It's a common challenge, especially when life gets busy and overwhelming, and it's essential to remember that productivity and self-care go hand in hand.

The answer to achieving both? Hold the space. Read on to see how this concept can help you stay inspired and productive, all while taking care of yourself and radiating confidence and calm.

Holding the space means to carve out time to focus on our visions, prime the environment, get rid of distractions, and accomplish tasks. It’s the intention to carve out space in our minds—and schedules—to manifest our desires.

I like to hold the space in seven-minute increments because often the hardest part is getting started on any project. If I tell myself, “It’s only for seven minutes,” I’m more likely to commit than if I feel like I have hours of work ahead of me.

It’s challenging to get started on anything if you don’t feel inspired or motivated, especially if you’re already faced with other mundane tasks on your to-do list. You may not feel like meditating to get into your zen. Or feel called to exercise. Or inspired to spend the next six hours at your computer.

As if that weren’t inhibiting enough, if you approach your work with uninspired vibrations, they have the potential to manifest into the very opposite of what you desire. For example, let’s say that you have a job interview you are nervous about, and you want to begin preparing.

Using the energy of dread and criticism to prepare, versus that of curiosity and openness, could produce less-than-optimal results because of the low vibrations these feelings carry. Fueling your efforts with high-vibing energy will always open more doors to your desires.

INSPIRED ACTION

Sometimes we feel inspired to act, and sometimes our actions inspire us. Holding space in the right environment—with the proper tools and no distractions—invites an easy, creative, intuitive, and focused energy to flow through you that helps you get started without feeling overwhelmed.

And if you think about holding the space for a short time at first, say seven minutes, it makes it easier to begin, which is half the battle.

Sometimes during those seven minutes, I feel like stopping, but think, “I only have three minutes left. I can do this!” Then I take a break—make a smoothie, do some stretches, talk to a friend, water the plants—before I start up again.

Sometimes I get a little bit done, which makes me feel better than doing nothing and feeling stagnant.

But most of the time, I build momentum during those key seven minutes, and before I know it, an hour of inspired momentum has passed. It’s all about growing, little by little, and I promise—the result is life-changing!

RITUAL: Hold the Space
To nourish and nurture your desires
Time: 7 minutes
Ingredients: Timer, all tools needed to accomplish your desired goal, undistracted environment

Notes: This little seven-minute secret will get you started on any activity, from washing dishes, to exercising, to working on a big project. It will help you achieve them in doable bursts of time and energy.

When the timer rings, you have the choice to stop or continue. You’ll be surprised at the momentum you build!

1. Prime. Make sure your environment is free of all distractions, to set yourself up for success. Go to a private space, gather your tools, and put away technical devices you aren’t using.
2. Breathe. Inhale one deep breath in while saying to yourself, “Open.” Exhale slowly while reciting an affirmative word. I say, “Possibility” or “Focus.”
3. Intend. State in one simple sentence what you want to hold the space for. For example: “I intend to enjoy creating designs at work.” “I hold the space to journal for seven minutes.”
4. Hold. Set your timer for seven minutes and allow yourself to become immersed in the work for seven glorious minutes.
5. Ask. At the end of the seven minutes, ask yourself how you feel and then decide if you will continue with another seven minutes. If you feel inspired momentum, you can stop the timer and stay in the zone for as long as you desire.
6. Affirm. At the end of your session, affirm your creativity and dedication: “Being creative and productive feels amazing!”

Edited excerpt from RADICAL RADIANCE: 12 Weeks of Self-Love Rituals by Angela Jia Kim.
Copyright © 2022 by the author and reprinted with permission of St. Martin's Publishing Group.