A Simpler Life
These days life seems to be anything BUT simple. Most of us wear multiple hats at varying times of the day. What used to be physical concerns for survival have been traded for mental and emotional ones. We don’t lose sleep over the threat of polio; we lose sleep worrying about why we can’t sleep… And then we overanalyze our thoughts and the voice in our head gets an undeserved platform after midnight.
Medical conditions related to anxiety, depression and neurosis are at an all time high. More than likely we are not facing an immediate physical threat. It’s only the thought of impending threats that we need to head off before they happen. Plenty of us are stuck in an anticipatory state of being.
Most people self-medicate with a stimulant in the mornings (coffee) and a depressant in the evenings (alcohol). And those are just the brain chemical modifiers that are legal I’m not going to mention the ones that aren’t.
We have become a culture of hurried, anxious, tired yet wired individuals.
Your body is not designed to be in constant anticipation. It’s like taking a perpetual bath in adrenaline. It flows over your skin and into each pore day after day. Long-term exposure is too much for your nervous, digestive, hormonal, and cardiovascular systems to handle. Most of the patients that I see have some type of dis-ease as a result of this cascade.
You and only you have the power to stop it. The little choices you make each day can be incredibly powerful. They will bring you closer to calm if that’s what you choose.
Picture this…it’s a beautiful lazy Sunday afternoon. Friends and family that you adore are gathered at your home to share time, eat, talk, and laugh. There is nowhere else you have to be; there is nothing else you need to do. All that is required is for you to eat, rest and enjoy this moment. Imagine your breath slowing down, laughter contagious around the table, the smells of delicious cooking and time standing still. Sink into this moment, feel the tension release from your body, your muscles, release your shoulders, your jaw. Soak it in like a crusty piece of Italian bread soaked in homemade sauce. This is the state of being where you can rest, digest, and let it all go. This stands in stark contrast to the other, hurried way of being. Recognize the difference.
Want more of that relaxed way of being? Here’s how to get there…
Create Space in Your Life
Look at your life. Which parts do you love? Which parts are really not working for you? How could you make your days better? What would need to happen? What small adjustments would make a BIG difference? What do you wish you had more of? Writing out a map of your days and your week will help you to see the areas that could be adjusted to give yourself more of what you need.
EX: For me Sundays were a day of dread. I would wake up feeling torn between spending time with my son and catching up on paperwork. Hiring a babysitter for 4 hours on Sundays made a huge difference for me.
Stay Present
Do you analyze the past and worry about the future? Are you anticipating events, days, and weeks before they happen? Ruminating over events that have a way of working themselves out? Then you have a noisy brain. Go immediately to the peaceful place in your mind.
For most people this is someplace in nature that absolutely took your breath away. It is the most beautiful and enchanting place you have ever been. Ideally it’s a place that evoked a LOT of feeling for you… a place that filled you with pure joy and peace.
This is your magical place.
Close your eyes. Visualize it in your mind. Use it as your place of calm around a storm. Breathe deeply while thinking of your place. Imagine yourself being surrounded by big white puffy clouds as they swirl around you creating a protective shield from anything negative. Feel your feet being rooted in the earth as you connect with all that is good. Then when you are ready open your eyes and return to the present. This moment is all that you have. Life is just a series of nows…surrender to it…be in it…live it…enjoy it.
Expect more do Less
Life is about intention and action. Running around like a chicken with your head cut off doesn’t leave much time for intention. Intention breeds inspiration and creativity. You need that to make the best choices for you. Then you can act on those conscious choices. Before you know it, Whammo! Life by design.
-Be Healthy, Happy, & Holistic
