Create "Margins"

Dr. Richard Swenson wrote a wonderful book entitled “Margin" to explain what it means. Read this excerpt: 

The conditions of modern-day living devour margin...

Marginless is being thirty minutes late to the doctor’s office because you were twenty minutes late out of the hairdresser’s because you were ten minutes late dropping the children off at school because the car ran out of gas two blocks from the gas station—and you forgot your purse. 

Margin, on the other hand, is having breath left at the top of the staircase, money left at the end of the month, and sanity left at the end of adolescence. 

Marginless is the baby crying and the phone ringing at the same time; margin is Grandma taking the baby for the afternoon. 

Marginless is being asked to carry a load five pounds heavier than you can lift; margin is a friend to carry half the burden. 

Marginless is not having time to finish the book you’re reading on stress; margin is having the time to read it twice. 

Practice margin. To create margin in our lives, we need to say “no” to things that are non-essential to our wellbeing and the welfare of the people around us. It is about being intentional to not overload and overburden ourselves so that we can give time, energy, and resources to more important things. 

Tips to get you started in creating margins: 

• Before going to bed, create a plan for tomorrow —identifying the things you will need to do and strategizing so that you will not find yourself in a hurry.

• Get up a little earlier to have space for silence as you begin your day.

• Reduce time on less important activities (e.g. social media, entertainment, etc.) and cut down on your screen time.

• Review commitments and identify those that are alright for you not to be in.

• Consider decreasing the frequency of activities without sacrificing the quality of life.