People say that what we are all seeking is the meaning of life. What we are truly seeking is the experience of being alive.
Many of my writing friends often try to fit eight days of work into a five-day work week and wonder why they wake up one morning to find their internal battery dead. To recharge, take responsibility for finding a space and a place to restore balance and harmony to your life, regardless of what the rest of the world is doing. Here are some suggestions for how to begin: Start right at this moment. Stop reading, close your eyes and breathe. If you are stressed you will notice your breathing is shallow – a condition reflecting and contributing to your stress. Breathe deeply for at least 10 breaths and notice you have become calmer and more relaxed. Now multiply this one-minute breathing vacation at least three times a day, stop and become aware of your breathing. Once Famous Wally Amos was asked what is the best part of living, he responded wryly, “I like breathing the best. If I get up in the morning and I am still breathing I know life is going to go well. If I am not breathing, well nothing else much matters!” He is right. Start to restore balance by returning to the most fundamental experience of living – breathe. Get up from your computer to take stretch breaks at least once an hour. Nothing contributes to stress more than sitting for hours on end in front of a computer screen. If we could see how we look hunched over our computers, foreheads wrinkled in concentration and hands poised awkwardly over a keyboard or mouse, we would laugh.But the effects of our computer-driven culture are not funny. Experts tell us everything from carpal tunnel syndrome to extreme pain in the neck, arms and shoulders is directly related to the amount of time we sit in front of a computer screen. And while it does not take a rocket scientist to prescribe a cure, it does require that we exercise the discipline to get up and move around frequently to break the breath and muscle tension coming with long periods in front of a computer. Rotate your shoulders, wrists, arms and bend at the waist, for starters. If you need help, work with a trainer to come up with a routine. Get out into nature. There is nothing like taking a brisk walk in the sunshine, even if it is just around the office building, to remind you there is an entire universe operating without management form you, me or the television newscasters who tell us what is. Make sure you take time every day to be in nature. Notice things you would not, if you were simply rushing past or through on your way to the next crises of the day. This will force you to slow down, and you might even find yourself doing more of activity number one as a result. Create sustaining rituals. It might be a combination of breathing, exercising or connecting with nature. Many people spend time in meditation, prayer, solitude or journaling to nurture themselves. Others find their commute to and from work a good time to switch on some soothing music and unwind or center themselves. There is no one-size-fits-all formula. The key is to create an island of serenity on the sea of insanity we are surrounded by daily. The length of time you spend on rituals is not critical. Consistency is. So carve out time daily to spend in ways that nurture and sustain you.
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AuthorMusings from Gammon Irons. To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for us all; and surely a good haven to sail. Archives
February 2020
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