I think you’d be hard pressed these days to find anyone not feeling bombarded by the seemingly endless demands of everyday life. I have personally felt pulled in many different directions most days, and the inevitable stress that comes with a feeling of drowning in your ‘to-do’ lists can lead to some serious health outcomes. And now, with the addition of two (amazing) small kids into our family to help grow into caring and responsible adults, those earlier to-do lists seem pitifully brief and easily achievable!
I have unfortunately not been blessed with an inherent ability to maintain a zen-like state of calm in the face of every perceived disaster. Endless stress related health issues that became a frequent occurrence in my early career as an advertising TV and radio producer taught me that freaking out is not a good habit. I butted my head against that wall of stress for many years before I was forced to take a serious look at the way I was living my life and the likely result. Part of that process resulted in my decision to quit my job and study to become a Naturopath, and for that I will be eternally grateful. However I soon discovered that intense study had its own pressures and stresses, and once again I was on the ‘freak out’ treadmill. I needed some coping mechanisms to help deal with stress before it became an ugly beast that gave me chronic bouts of IBS and emotional turmoil again.
Treat yourself to some ‘me’ time everyday and find your place in the eye of the storm
Life is busy, and it goes by way too fast. It’s easy to think that there is no way you can find time for yourself. However without this practice in your life, the cumulative burden of everyday stress will eventually catch up with you. Your body is intelligent, it knows prolonged stress will cause damage, and when under extended pressure it will develop some physical ailment to force you to take time out and be still. Unfortunately, this process tends to cause significant harm. As in all areas of health, a preventative approach whereby you provide your body and mind with small windows of stress-less space everyday can help to avoid a health crisis further down the road.
Sleep is important, but moments of ‘no mind’ in your waking hours are potent relievers of stress
Although seven to eight hours of rejuvenating sleep a night is incredibly important to achieving optimal health, this will not always restore and refresh your mind to the same degree as your body. Stress in your waking hours can just as easily burden you during sleep – anybody who has woken after a full nights sleep still feeling exhausted can attest to that fact. Finding moments during your day when you can switch off your mind and let it rest can be incredibly restorative.
Meditation is not the only answer
For many, the technique that comes to mind when imagining these moments of ‘no mind’ is meditation. Sitting in a quiet space and gently calming your mind through various meditative processes can definitely work, but it isn’t the only approach. Any act in which you become fully immersed in the process can have the same effect of ‘no mind’. I’m a keen surfer, and I definitely find moments of ‘no mind’ and immersion in the moment when riding a wave. Maybe tennis is your thing, and you become as focused as a zen master when hitting it out with a good friend. Perhaps you love to paint, and you find peace and calm with each stroke of the brush. The method differs, but the sense of calm and joy will always be there.
‘Me’ time is not selfish – it is crucial to good health
I sometimes feel that we have become far too serious in our society – everything is about achieving a goal or attaining status. We have forgotten how to play. Watch any child and see how they find countless opportunities to play and be in the moment every day. We need to prioritize play again, find your passion and make time for it in your life. And feel good about doing it, rather than feeling a sense of guilt that you aren’t spending every moment ‘achieving’.
What is your passion? What is it that makes you forget yourself and become fully absorbed in the moment? Find time in your day for this and well being will surely be the result.
In wellness,
James
