Why You Need Mandatory White Space (and How to Get It!)
If you think you can cruise through life skimping on your sleep, ignoring your energy levels, and putting everyone else’s needs before your own, then you are setting yourself up for major burnout.
White space (also known as self-care) isn’t about being lazy, and it’s certainly not just for hippies or beauty queens.
I hate to break it to you, but it’s the Life Editor law.
In today’s video, you’ll learn why you need mandatory white space and how to get it.
The video transcript is below for your convenience.
PS, Get the worksheet from this video in the Edited Year Planners.
Next Steps
- Design your mandatory white space plan and block off the times in your planner or digital calendar.
- Get your Edited Year Planners.
- Subscribe on YouTube.
Video Transcript
If you think you can cruise through life skimping on your sleep, ignoring your energy levels, and putting everyone else’s needs before your own, then you are setting yourself up for major burnout.
White space (also known as self-care) isn’t about being lazy, and it’s certainly not just for hippies or beauty queens.
I hate to break it to you, but it’s the Life Editor law.
You need mandatory white space, and in today’s video I’ll show you how to get it. Let’s go!
Hey there! I’m Sage Grayson, a former book editor turned life coach. I help ambitious career women edit their habits, routines, and mindsets to balance their happiness at work and home. I’m a Life Editor…and so are you!
Before I tell you why your white space is so important, please give this video a thumbs-up for self-care and hit that subscribe button so you won’t miss any of my life editing videos.
White space is a publishing term from my old book editing days. It literally means the white space on a printed page where there’s no text or images.
It gives the reader’s eyes a place to rest. For Life Editors, your white space is when you can rest and recharge.
I make it mandatory for all my coaching clients because you can’t be of service to your family, friends, coworkers, or anyone else if you’re not replenishing your lost energy.
There’s a great worksheet in my Edited Year Planners that helps you define your white space times so you give yourself the breaks you need. I’ll leave the link below the video.
Here’s the promise you’ll make to yourself, “This year I will take breaks, go on vacations, enjoy my weekends, and relax. By caring for myself, I will be better able to care for my loved ones.”
Write in your work hours. You don’t work 24/7 like a robot, and you’re training people to respect your time with clear boundaries.
Then write in your days off. I take off the weekends, but your days off might be different based on the kind of work you do.
Choose the holidays you’ll observe. They don’t have to be religious holidays. Even when I had a corporate job, I still took my birthday off every single year.
Then choose the vacations you’ll take. How about a white space weekend at home with plenty of reading and enjoying your hobbies? Or maybe a road trip with your friends? Leave a comment and let me know what vacations you’re planning.
Finally, list everything you need to do to make this white space possible, such as telling your loved ones when you’re not available, submitting your vacation days at your job, or even putting your phone on airplane mode for a day so you’re not distracted by notifications.
That’s it! This week, design your mandatory white space plan and block off the times in your planner or digital calendar.
If you like this video, please hit that subscribe button. Then get out there and enjoy your white space. Don’t make me send the Life Editor police after you.
Thanks for watching. I’ll see you soon.
This post focuses on Step 5 of the Life Editing Process, Make White Space for Personal Self-Care. For more about life editing and what it can do for you, click here.
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