Posts Tagged ‘meditation’

       

So, here I am, feeling harried, feeling stressed, and rushing from one task to another. 

Gotta get ‘em done so I can relax.  Gotta get ‘em done so I can get onto “the good stuff” in life. 

There’s the dishwasher to be unloaded.  There’s laundry waiting to be folded and/or ironed.  There are receipts waiting to be entered into the computer.  There’s so much to do!  And none of it is the joyful part of my day.  I just want to get through them so I can … (fill in the blank here).

Do you know that feeling? 

Do you recognize that scenario?

How often do you find yourself thinking about the next thing that needs to get done WHILE you’re still doing something else?  And just how well is that working to reduce your stress?  To add joy to your day?  For me, if I’m honest about it, that doesn’t really help. 

It’s easy to be on auto-pilot and keep plugging away in the mindset I just described.

Here’s an idea!  Stop doing that. 

No, not the individual tasks (although that IS an option). 

Stop the mental auto-pilot response of doing one thing and thinking about all the others still to be done. 

Try this instead.  Focus in on what you’re doing in the moment. 

Use your senses to really notice what you’re doing.  What your body is doing.  What you’re experiencing. 

Embrace the repetitive movements in your day. 

Give it a try.  Start with one task that has a repetitive element.  Focus on the task and watch your brain slow down.  Fold the laundry and actually notice the texture of the towels, the colors, the fresh scent, how warm they are against your body, and the visually pleasing folded stack that you’re creating. 

Choose to experience the repetition in the task as a chance to mentally slow down and enjoy your life.  Right now.  The moments that are part of your life. 

As you focus on what you are doing right now, take note of how you feel.  Do you feel LESS stress for a change?  Do you feel a sense of satisfaction?  What else? 

Give it a try and let me know what YOU experience. 
~Margie

         

Rather than trying to eliminate stress, find your flow within it.

Think about how much energy you could expend trying to eliminate stress from your life. We’re bombarded with messages telling us to eliminate or reduce stress in our lives. That’s a great goal and I’m a proponent of that philosophy. Most days.

But what about the day to day stuff that just crops up?

Or the ongoing stress of life that just IS? I mean, stuff happens, right?

What about practicing a new mindset during the times when you find yourself in the midst of a stressful situation?

Find your flow.

Step back, detach for just a minute, and notice that everything in your life has a cycle. Everything has an ebb and flow. Even stressful situations.

How can you find your flow within the stress?

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HO, HO, HO!

Just kidding. It’s not quite that time of year.

No, the season I’m talking about is happening right now, mid-August.

It’s Back-to-School season.

Think of all the hallmarks of “the season”: There’s the rush of shopping for back-to-school clothes, supplies, and lunches. There are last-minute vacations to be planned and squeezed into the schedule. There are end-of-summer family get-togethers. Sound familiar? Yep. It’s a holiday season alright. Is it “back-to-school” for your household? You might be sending someone off to college or kindergarten or any grade in between. Or you might be like me and not be sending anyone anywhere. And yet, there’s change in the air, isn’t there? There’s a feeling of unity about it. And “back-to-school” is all that anyone is talking about.

How can you best manage this transitional season?

I know you’ve got everything under control as far as getting the kids’ needs met (yeah, I see you rolling your eyes). So instead, I’d like to make a few suggestions for YOU, about caring for yourself during this season.

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