In todays hustle and bustle world, what with raising a family, work, friends, it is so easy to get caught up in the daily grind, and convince ourselves that we are too busy, that there isn’t enough time in the day for what we want to do – whatever the reality is.
Modern life is full of time saving devices and yet many of us feel more time poor than ever before, leading to feelings of anxiety, exhaustion and burn-out. Being caught up in the constant chase for ‘stuff’ has meant that we are often too busy to notice what is actually right under our noses.
Ringing any bells?
So what can we do to manage this constant feeling of rush, rush, rush?
Well, simply STOP.
By this I don’t mean come to a halt in the street, or go into hibernation until the summer (however tempting that may be).
Instead:
Savour a moment of quietness – whether it is first thing in the morning with a hot coffee before the rest of the world is up, or last thing at night when the house is asleep, just sit, put down your phone and enjoy the moment
Take time with simple things – making a cup of tea, or brushing your teeth (for example) is something most people barely think about, but take the time to switch off, concentrate 100% on the task, and use that moment to recharge your batteries.
Open your eyes – many of us effectively walk around with our eyes shut, either we are so deep in thought that we forget to engage with our surroundings, or we are glued to our phones, convinced the world will end if we don’t post our next facebook update. But if we take the time to actually look at our surroundings, we can find peace and joy in our surroundings, which can help reduce feelings of anxiety.
Pay attention – Many of us think we are experts at multi-tasking, whereas in many cases it is more accurately described as doing many things badly at the same time. Next time you are feeling rushed, panicked or overwhelmed by the pace of life, give your next conversation or interaction (even if at the checkout of a supermarket) your full attention. By consciously focusing on a single task we can effectively block out the background noise which is causing us stress for a few moments, giving ourselves time to regain control.
So, the next time you feel like life is going at 100mph and you need a break, just STOP!
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Photo by Branden Tate @Unsplash