Last year the main thing I remember saying more than any other time was “I don’t have time”. My life was so busy I literally had no time to stop. Not only was I going through some pretty heavy “stuff” in my personal life but I was also running a business, trying to keep up with going to the gym, working full time, completing a counselling course, travelling backwards and forwards to Birmingham and Bridgend and volunteering for Cruse. There was hardly any time left to see family and friends let alone time for myself. If this sounds like you then maybe you need to stop.
The reality is we all have 24hours in a day but some of those hours can seem endless whilst others go really slowly. So what can you do with those hours that hang around and go really slowly? Maybe you can achieve more in that time to help you. By taking some time out you will actually create more time. Self care is so important and can fall into 3 categories. Mind, body and spirit.
Mind
Do you feel like you have so many things that you are thinking about that you are finding it hard to concentrate on just one thing at a time? You are literally buzzing and your brain feels like it cannot take on any more information?
Body
Are you getting some fresh air every day? Drinking enough water? Having time to cook nutritious meals? Are you getting enough sleep?
Spirit
Do you feel like you are rushing around but struggling to find your purpose? Are you happy and content or have you got no time to think about that? Maybe if you had time to think you may realise you are not quite so happy and if you conclude that you are not happy what then? If you have to focus and think about those things that are making you unhappy how will that affect your life?
Ask yourself, if you do not take care of yourself how is that going to impact the very people you are trying to take care of? Who will be there to look after them if you suffer ill health due to an unhealthy lifestyle? Self care activities include eating healthy meals, finding time for exercise, having enough sleep, meditation and some time out to spend quality time with family and friends. By looking after yourself physically this will give you more energy so you can accomplish everything that needs to be accomplished.
Meditation, relaxing, chilling, you can use whatever word works best for you, but stilling your mind and pausing a little bit can help you to focus more easily. By taking time for a quick cuppa and allowing your mind to be quieter can help you to properly focus on what needs your attention. The irony is by taking time out you can actually create more time.
Spiritually are you feeding your soul and enjoying you life? If not, rather than parking your own needs to the back of the queue how about talking things through with a friend or family member, or a counsellor to see more clearly the change you would like to see? Your happiness is important.
Think of at least 3 things that you could be doing each day to improve your well being. Meditation being one of those things.
The science bit here is that our minds are in two parts the conscious and the subconscious. When they are both busy, for example, you are driving the car and also thinking about what you need to do when you reach the destination, it means there are two activities going on in the brain, two drains of energy. When you concentrate both these parts of the mind on the same thing they synchronise. It is this synchronicity where calm exists. This is where meditating only needs to take a few minutes but the peace of mind that follows can transform your day.
Meditation is one example and there are many tools on the internet to help you with this.
I have slowed down a lot over the last 3 months and the difference in how I am feeling is immense. Please take care of you. If you feel counselling would help you to put aside some of that me time by talking in confidence about anything that is affecting you then please feel free to get in touch.