Subconsciously, our brains are drawn to white space, literally, the white space between words and paragraphs. When it’s not there, we are less attracted to the text, we find ourselves losing our place, we skim or scroll to avoid the noise on the page.
But what do we do when we have too much noise in our lives? We look for the white space, the breaks that help us catch our breath, think through problems and organize our thoughts.
The value of white space is something that publishers understand. With the onslaught of self-published works and do-it-yourself web designs, the value of white space seems to be forgotten. Similarly, today’s busyness has replaced the white space in our lives—and robbed us of both harmony and joy.
Recently, a colleague of mine placed her head in her hands and sighed, “I need white space!” Yes, indeed she did. Her priorities languished as she strived to accomplish everything on her plate. Her plate had become a page of text that was too full.
To help find the white space in our lives, try these 4 things.
1. Do the Hard Thing First.
Don’t fall into the “If I just complete these 3 little tasks first, I’ll have more off my plate” conundrum. Rather stick to the “Do the Hard Thing First” rule. Set a timer and go!
2. Delegate.
If possible, delegate tasks to others. Avoid thinking you must do it all. We aren’t superheroes and asking someone else to take out the trash, field sales calls, or pick up the kids is reasonable when we need to find white space.
3. RePrioritize.
Self-imposed deadlines can be adjusted and promised timelines can be altered. Allowing yourself to repaginate, to discover more white space in your life will energize you, and eventually, you will have more pleasure in your day and balance in your life. Bonus, you will accomplish more!
4. Put down the phone.
If your demanding schedule doesn’t allow much “me” time, see how much white space you can create simply by turning your phone off during designated times. Notice how often you grab your phone out of habit. That simple pick up to see who responded (LOL) on that group chat secretly robs you of your white space. One thing leads to another and you’ve spent 8 minutes checking in, scrolling apps and filling your time.
White space serves a purpose. It is not negative space; it's designed to help your brain understand what’s on the page. When we embrace the white space in our daily lives, we are purposefully creating harmony. We frame the important things in our lives with room to expand rather than focusing on the busyness that always seems to demand our attention.
Let’s not lose ourselves to the noise in our lives, let’s embrace the white space.
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Executive Mom Nest Founder, Marcy Stoudt is passionate about developing leaders, bringing teams together, and creating a work environment where people thrive. For the past 25 years, she has worked with hundreds of women and executives and has coached, taught, and inspired results through confidence and balance.