Yes, it sounds oxymoronic to state that slowing down will allow busy professionals to be more productive, but it’s true. Funeral Directors report that they cannot get it all done in a day. Calls come in, paperwork needs to be filled out and filed, calling hours, services and more fill your day. You feel like you can’t plan your schedule and don’t count on a day off meaning your phone won’t ring. Unless you’re hiking the El Camino de Santiago or out to sea on a cruise ship, business remains in the front of your mind.

  While cemeterians have hours that are a bit more reliable, tasks still overwhelm each day. Burials, service requests, weather issues, phone calls, sales….so much to do and so little time to do it in.

  All of this may lead you to feel like the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland who said, “Here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.” In all of the running, mistakes get made, steps get overlooked, calls are forgotten and paperwork gets piled higher and higher. All of this leads to more work to straighten it all out, more time to locate that form you need, more stress, more worry, more need for a time out.

  What can you do when you are on overwhelm and the Camino Trail is starting to look like a good idea? Try one of these five simple tools when overwhelm strikes:

•     Take a breath. A deep breath - a slow, deep, breath that fills the lungs and brings oxygen to your brain. Even 30 seconds of this can restore you to balance.

•     Take a walk. Go outside and wander for 5 or 10 minutes. Leave your phone on your desk, inform the staff that you will be right back and put one foot in front of the other out in the fresh air.

•     Take a play break. Get out the slinky, squish your stress ball, watch a funny video clip or just laugh.

•     Take time to smell the roses…or tulips or any other flowers. Have fresh flowers (from the florist, not someone’s funeral spray!) on your desk and surround yourself with beauty. Spend a moment looking at them, smelling their fragrance, contemplating their colors and shapes – a type of meditation that is sure to release your stress.

•     Take your favorite people out for coffee. Spend time with those you love. Work has its place in your life, but so do they. Carve out time to have fun hanging out with friends and family.

  It is easy to get lost in the busy-ness of the work day. Reminding yourself why you do what you do allows you to focus on the important stuff and then move on to the details. Making a difference and taking care of other people is an amazing feeling. Taking care of yourself first is essential if you want to be effective at the rest.

  P.S. Here’s a movie recommendation to get you ready to plan your adventure and still feel like you are doing research for work. It’s a movie starring Martin Sheen called The Way. Here is the description: A father heads overseas to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling the "El camino de Santiago," and decides to take the pilgrimage himself. Get the popcorn ready, Snuggie on and enjoy movie night!