I was recently walking through my botanical garden and I had to remind myself to notice the flowers in bloom. Winter will be upon us and fall is already here. Whatever I had in mind for the day, stopping and noticing this moment was most important to me.
I’ve recently asked myself if I’m enjoying the pace of my life and honestly it’s a no. What I mean is that I try to cram so much into my free time because it’s very precious to me. I feel that I have to cram in what I”m missing. The pace is not sustainable. Everyone has different seasons of life so you may have to examine what is happening in your life.
Reduce your to do list.
This means you have to look at what your priorities are. Ask yourself if you can take care of something in the near future. The answer is usually yes, but we put pressure on ourselves to be as productive as possible. Try to remember that your value comes from being instead of how much you accomplish.
Weekend Tune Up
This is an individual preference but if you have active weekdays, then a slower paced weekend may be beneficial. On the other hand, if you work alone and don’t get to see people during the week, then having more social activities on the weekend will help balance you out. Make your precious weekend time work for you and don’t fill them up with errands. Brainstorm ways you can take care of chores on the weekdays so you have the freedom to choose how your weekends will go. Motivate yourself by imagining how nice it will feel to have more free time on the weekend and discipline yourself during the week to do some chores.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness seems to be everywhere these days and we hear about not living in the past and the future. Being in the present moment will help us focus and reduce our anxiety. Mindfulness helps us be aware of our mental state and how our bodies feel which are the most important indicators of how to take care of ourselves. I heard a meditation teacher say that self-care is taking care of our emotions and I love that definition.
Savor Our Connections
Discussing how busy you are with friends and loved ones can seem the normal way to bond. Why not spend the time checking-in with each other. Really hang out and linger. Instead of watching a movie, spend time at a cafe and be present. It may be uncomfortable, if you are used to distractions as most of us are. Remind yourself to put your phone away and invite the other person to do the same. Take the time to really notice your surroundings and practice gratitude for the food and the people who are serving you. You will be in a better state of mind and the moment will be memorable, instead of a blur.
Remember that the roses are waiting for you. They are also in season for a short precious time so today is the day to slow down and notice what is in bloom. In the next post, let’s continue to dive deeper since so many of us have a hard time slowing down.
