It’s that time of year when everything seems to be converging together. The holiday rush, year end work responsibilities, social gatherings, and holiday get togethers all seem to consume every minute of every day. The “me time” that I often write about takes a back seat and in the rush to get everything done, some things just have to give. The problem is in figuring out just which things are going to get delayed so that you can get what needs to be done finished.

The holidays are my favorite time of year. However, every year for the last four years I have found myself negotiating contracts at my day job, sometimes right up to New Year’s Eve. Add to that the fact that it is also the business time of year for the Bring Smiles to Seniors program as we try and get all the holiday cards out. That often takes the sparkle out of the season and I have to stop and remind myself of what’s really important. I have to steal that extra minute for a dinner with friends, shopping, and pre-agreed to social engagements.

The one area where this year is different, is that I have managed to carve out that “me time” that I talk about. Those ten to fifteen minutes in a day where I focus on my meditation, remind myself of all the things that I am thankful for and block out the outside world. It is amazing what those few minutes can do for you when you truly focus on yourself and let the rest of the world go by. When I am done, I have this renewed energy to tackle everything that is left for the day and then start all over again the next.

Everyone could use just a few more minutes in the day to get what needs to be accomplished done. However, I would say 95% of the time the world isn’t going to come to end if there are things on our list that just don’t get finished. They make their way to the top of the priority list the next day.

So, if you are feeling anxiety or a little stressed that you can’t seem to just fit it all in, take a moment and stop. Steal a few minutes to sit and have a cup of coffee or tea. Read a few pages in your favorite magazine. Meditate, pray or just be with yourself. Let those moments belong to only you. Realize that all that needs to be accomplished can only be done when we are taking care of ourselves first and supplying ourselves with the energy we need to see it all through.

Morning with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcast sites.