Life gets busy and that I'm afraid will never change. No matter how civilization has evolved there has always been a lot to do with seemingly not a lot of time to do it. If we're not careful this can take us down a bit of a tricky path. We can end up getting stuck in a cycle of leaping from one thing to the next without really knowing what it is exactly that we're doing. We can slip into a sort of numbness that comes with mistaking busy for productive, or productive for purposeful. Downtime is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We need those moments not just to sit and organize our lives but to also just sit down and do nothing. It's those moments that offer us the perspective and insight we need to make any and all necessary changes. Its during downtime when the mind relaxes to the point where you can be more intuitively open and even get some really good ideas. Men tend to think better when they move their bodies so when I get some downtime I like to take Oscar on an extra long walk. Just us wandering through the parks or down the beach is often where my best ideas have cropped up. A little tip, turn your phone off on one of these travels! It's hard not to use this little “extra” time you have given yourself to fit in a little more work.
Being self employed I'm quite lucky that I get to design my days so that little breaks happen as and when they need to and also pretty regularly but, that still doesn't mean I don't catch myself needing a bit more now and again. In that quiet unwinding space I give myself the time to step back and look over the landscape of my life to really see what I like about it and what needs changing. Or sometimes I just watch Netflix and have an afternoon nap, both are valid! The point is are you giving yourself regular time to sit back are really just acknowledge the life that you are living or are you jumping from one stress induced drama to the next? Life will throw plenty of stuff your way without us waiting around for it and the best way to deal with most problems is to at first get some perspective on it. It's counter intuitive to go for a relaxing walk when a drama has exploded all over your life but I've found that dealing with something when you are centred and calm tends to stop things escalating in a way that keeps them perpetuating.
Take some time to try and work into your week an hour where you just go for a walk, screen free or even just grab a coffee without spending the whole time scrolling. Stare into space, people watch and just let your mind drift! When your mind is constantly busy it doesn't bring you it's best game. It also gets easily overwhelmed, it get's easily confused and fatigue can quickly become just another part of your day. So do what you need to do to start relaxing. It won't happen over night. I know some of you have habits stretching back many years that include habitual work in some form or another. Make a start now, or if you're just starting out your working life please understand that self care is part of a successful life. Everything you do rests on your shoulders so be sure to rest them now and again. When you take a step out of your life you may just find yourself stepping into the best parts of it.
Thank you for reading
Big Love,
Ryan James x
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