Do we ever really take time
to slow down? “Indian summer” is in the air and I wonder how it’s possible that
summer’s over.
My summer was BUSY! I feel
like I didn’t stop for a second. As I continued to work and my teenage children
were home for most of the summer, I wore many hats: “camp director”, “activity
and social coordinator”, “chauffeur”, “cook”, “laundress” and “maintenance
worker”. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fantastic summer filled with lots of fun
activities (beach, biking, tennis, golf, boating, bbqs) with family and friends
and great weather. And I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. That being
said, as I look back on the months passed, I feel like I didn’t breathe much. I
was always on the go racing from one fun filled activity to another. And so, a
week ago when my kids went back to school I thought that early to bed and early
to rise would finally allow me to slow down and have a holiday!
Well, that fantasy hasn’t
panned out! I was in my apartment elevator this morning with another mother who
had just sent her son off to school. She said that she was more exhausted than
she thought she would be as her life was busy once again with the hustle and
bustle of school and work and family and friends.
The fall season is loaded
with commitments- there’s even more rush and activity than I imagined!
However, it’s time to learn
to push pause and slow down and breathe. I recognize that in life there will
always be chaos. But the key is to be able to find “zen” as we move. If we can
manage that (and hey we are great at multi-tasking!) while we can’t mess with
mother nature (too much), I believe that we will actually slow down the aging
process and we will look and feel a whole lot better!
Here are 3 steps towards
finding inner peace and balance.
#1) Close your eyes and count
to 10
It’s simple, really: Anytime you want, you can stop and close
your eyes shut and turn your gaze inward and count to 10.
This works for little kids so why not for ourselves as well. When
faced with a stressful moment, stop and count. Now, find your breath. Don’t
move so fast that you take it for granted. Notice it. Pull a big inhale in
through your nose, filling up your belly from the bottom of you all the way up
to the top of you. Say to yourself let. Then exhale the breath out your
nose from top to bottom, saying to yourself go. By
breathing like this throughout the day you will increase your focus, slow your
heart rate and feel balance and grounding.
#2) Laugh
Believe it or not when we are relaxed we are happy. And when we
are happy, we laugh! Laughing is good medicine; happiness is the place where
Zen lives.
#3) Be an early bird
The morning hours are the quietest, and finding some “you time”
can set the tone for your entire day. Use this time to journal, meditate, or
work out.
Think. Say. Do. Every action is first a thought. Every thought
has an intention. Set a clear and positive intention to find your time and your
own space in your everyday life. Think it, say it, and do it. You won’t be
sorry.
