“Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way
things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world
belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu
In our hurried world it’s easy to feel like you “should” be constantly on-the-go. Getting caught up in day to day activities and neglecting
ourselves seems to be the "norm" these days. Rather than relaxing you
might be staying late at the office to finish a report, sending emails,
or connecting with friends on various social networks. And agree with or not, that my friends is just plain stressful!
For instance, practicing meditation , Tai Chi, and biking for exercise and leisure, have helped me relax and slow down. Yes, I still get caught up
in feeling guilty that I “should” be accomplishing something. (My step-father's most resounding daily statement to me was "DO somethin while you ain't doing nothin"... so go figure!) MY simple justification for relaxing is that "I'm performing mental maintenance"; I DID accomplish exactly what I needed at the time!. Yesterday, I decided to
follow
Leo’s advice and "do less". By embracing the idea of doing less, I actually accomplished even more AND took a tiny nap too!
So
let go of the need to constantly be doing something. Learn to
relax and embrace “laziness.” I’m not arguing you should turn into a
sloth; however I think it’s perfectly okay to take time out of your
normal routine and take care of yourself. By taking time out to recharge
you’ll be more productive and creative.
The art of realization is about
cultivating focus and giving yourself time to think. And to really take notice of your hopes, fears, and dreams.
Here are some proven tips to get you started on reducing your stress levels and improving your life:
- Start your day relaxed and optimistic. Ever start a day by oversleeping, missing a meeting, or an important call? You rush about to try to recover the "time" that you missed. And that just seems to "wreck" the entire day, doesn't it! Well your first mistake was "trying to recover that missed time".. sorry but no matter how hard you try, you cannot recover time. You can however keep your "composure" and proceed with a relaxing, productive day. And don't you dare feel "guilty", or allow anyone else to "guilt" you into dwelling on it!! Just "let it go"!
- Start your day "mentally fresh", in a gradual, controlled, action. (This one may take a little practice.) Rather than jumping out of bed in
the morning, let your brain equalize and focus. And once you DO get up, for heavens sake don't immediately jump for that keyboard, smart phone, or Wall Street Journal!! Allow yourself 30 minutes to an hour to gently achieve a bit "awareness" or "presence" (a mental state of acknowledging who and where you are, and what's happening around you)... Relax, sip your coffee, read a chunk of that novel, meditate, Tai Chi, watch the activity outside your window.. anything except immediately "blasting" your mind with action!
- Start each day anew. Don't let tasks overlap between days. Put closure on yesterday and all that WAS yesterday. Are you one of those folks that mentally "carries over" yesterday's stuff into today as something you failed to complete? Well I was... Big mistake! Yesterday was yesterday; it's over, it's done! If there's something that you started yesterday, CLOSE the portion that WAS completed, and START today's PORTION as NEXT.
- Learn to prioritize your tasks. By prioritizing your tasks, you’ll have more time to relax and do what you love in your down time.
- LISTEN to your body. How many of you actually
listen to your body? Do you slow down when you get tired or become ill?
Or do you keep going into the office and working long hours. As a former student of bodybuilding I've learned that if you "fail to give your body recovery time", you succumb to a condition called "over-training" or even "injury". And IF YOU KEEP GOING, you risk even more serious or even permanent damage. At that point you will have no choice but to come to a complete stop. And folks, believe it or not, your MIND is a lot less resilient than the body... Wounds of the mind tend to last a lifetime! So "Take a break. or be broken"... Choose wisely.
- Observe your surroundings. If your home is loud, find a quiet place to cultivate laziness. Bring a blanket to the park and observe your surroundings.
- Imagine a personal paradise.
- Exercise everyday. Take time out of your busy
routine and take a long walk, run or bike ride. It’s amazing how much
exercise can help reduce levels of stress.
- Practice deep breathing and meditation.
- Go on a slow meditative walk.
- Take a long, leisurely bike ride... If you peddle through your suburban neighborhood streets like I do, you might take a few dog biscuits along a make some "really happy to see ya" tail-wagging friends along the way.. and by all means stop and chat with their care-givers as well!
- Participate in activities or hobbies that relax you. What are your favorite hobbies? Do you like going for long runs or slow leisurely walks? Doesn't matter.. just schedule the time and DO IT!
- Take a nap. I’m convinced that naps are
the key to a happy life. I
always joked that we should have a designated nap hour. You might take note that Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison were famous for frequent napping in some cases attributing the generation of some of their best ideas.
- Spend time with your pet. Numerous studies have show that spending time with a pet is relaxing, fun, and can lower your stress level.
- Smile and laugh. Have fun and learn to smile and laugh more. If you have trouble laughing, look into laughing yoga.
- Read a good book. And I don't mean a technical manual, self-motivational, or a medical book. Pick a novel, something that relaxes or entices you away from tasking... and "escape" so to speak. An audio book (on DVD or tape) does wonders for many. There is nothing more powerful and relaxing than getting lost in the power of a good story.
- Listen to calming music. It really does help!
- Go fishing or sailing... As excellent "escape" activities, these are ways to coax your mental focus "away" from stresses, and often allow the body to relax as well.
- Give hugs. Hug your friends, family members and partner. Hugging more often not only increases happiness but makes us happier.
- Cook a healthy meal at home. Savor your time in
the kitchen or on the grill by making a simple healthy meal. Use simple ingredients like
whole grains, vegetables and fruits in your dish.
- Do less. Learning to relax doesn’t have to be so complicated. We just have to do less and make the time for self-care.
Micro-actions: Read
The Lazy Manifesto: Do Less, Then Do Even Less and start incorporating relaxation tips into your everyday life.
