Intentional Play
1:00 pm. 1:00 pm!? Only?
It's one of those days that seems to go on forever. I check my phone for the uptienth time in the past 15 minutes, as my daughter crawls up to me begging for my attention. I'm just begging for some 'me' time. I'm bored but busy at the same time. I wish 6 pm would just come already.
Have you been there!?
And then it hit me. Here I am half checking my phone, partly thinking about what I am cooking for dinner, mostly thinking about what I need to get done that day, and only half-heartedly playing with my daughter. I am very much disengaged. No wonder I feel bored but busy. No wonder I am getting easily frustrated and irritated with my own daughter. No wonder.
Multi-tasking is only good when it gives benefits. This was not giving me any benefits. By checking my phone I am ignoring what is in front of me (or in this case, who!). By thinking about cooking for dinner I am not accomplishing cooking dinner (especially when my meal plan was already set..). By thinking about what I need to get done that day, I am only overwhelming and frustrating myself more. Multi-tasking in this way, takes me away from being in the moment, from focusing on the here and now. In this case, the here and now is my beautiful daughter.
So I stopped. I took a breath. I put my phone away in a closet and I cleared my brain. I sat down beside Emelyn and I took out some of her toys. And we played. Intentionally played. We laughed, we made up games, we spent serious quality time together. Suddenly, it was 4pm and I didn't know where the hours had gone.
I had chosen to focus on my daughter. I had chosen to focus on my true purpose for the day. While it might seem just like play, and not important, it was so important for my daughter and so important for myself.
I am choosing to unplug. From now on, I unplug from my phone when it is playtime with my daughter. From now on, I choose to focus rather than 'multi-task' (And in this way, accomplish so much more!) Intentional playtime with my daughter is on the top of my to-do list.
Be intentional. Be focused.
It's one of those days that seems to go on forever. I check my phone for the uptienth time in the past 15 minutes, as my daughter crawls up to me begging for my attention. I'm just begging for some 'me' time. I'm bored but busy at the same time. I wish 6 pm would just come already.
Have you been there!?
And then it hit me. Here I am half checking my phone, partly thinking about what I am cooking for dinner, mostly thinking about what I need to get done that day, and only half-heartedly playing with my daughter. I am very much disengaged. No wonder I feel bored but busy. No wonder I am getting easily frustrated and irritated with my own daughter. No wonder.
Multi-tasking is only good when it gives benefits. This was not giving me any benefits. By checking my phone I am ignoring what is in front of me (or in this case, who!). By thinking about cooking for dinner I am not accomplishing cooking dinner (especially when my meal plan was already set..). By thinking about what I need to get done that day, I am only overwhelming and frustrating myself more. Multi-tasking in this way, takes me away from being in the moment, from focusing on the here and now. In this case, the here and now is my beautiful daughter.
So I stopped. I took a breath. I put my phone away in a closet and I cleared my brain. I sat down beside Emelyn and I took out some of her toys. And we played. Intentionally played. We laughed, we made up games, we spent serious quality time together. Suddenly, it was 4pm and I didn't know where the hours had gone.
I had chosen to focus on my daughter. I had chosen to focus on my true purpose for the day. While it might seem just like play, and not important, it was so important for my daughter and so important for myself.
I am choosing to unplug. From now on, I unplug from my phone when it is playtime with my daughter. From now on, I choose to focus rather than 'multi-task' (And in this way, accomplish so much more!) Intentional playtime with my daughter is on the top of my to-do list.
Be intentional. Be focused.
Comments
Post a Comment