Category Archives: Liberating Daily Life

10 Ways to Slow Down for the Hurry Addict

Posted on April 18, 2012 | 3 Comments

crash-into-sleep

I am doing it again, rushing and cramming too much into my day. I’ve been pelted with stressors lately, and my cells are screaming for a break.

Instead of slowing down, I push myself and take more on. Proudly recognizing my productivity while my body and mind suffer. Sadly, I am sometimes even hurrying so I can relax, which makes it really hard to relax. Instead I crash.

Even my kids get to here me chant hurry up, speed up, and go quicker. Kids are so much better at slowing down and cherishing the moment. In fact it almost seems impossible for kids to hurry themselves.

I wouldn’t need to hurry myself if I took on less instead of more. While there are times where we need to take on more and rise to the challenge, there are also times when we need to slow down in face of the many responsibilities we have.

Are you caught in a web of hurrying up so you can get caught up, only to find you are too tired to enjoy life or loved ones? If you are a hurry addict like me, join me in a week dedicated to slowing down. And maybe we will remind ourselves how good it feels to slow down that we keep it up.

10 Ways to Slow Down Instead of Hurrying:

1. Schedule more breaks instead of more tasks in your day.

2. Take a nap.

3. Sit, watch, and listen to nature.

4. Read a book for fun.

5. Journal without turning it into a creative or productive work.

6. Unplug from computer, phone, or electronics for a day.

7. Go for a walk with no destination or time in mind.

8. Get a babysitter and do something gentle for yourself.

9. Limit the amount of time you check email and social media.

10. Connect with people face to face.

If we don’t slow down during our day, we will have a hard time slowing down at the end of the day. There is no such thing as hurrying to relax. Hurrying leads to more hurrying as your mind-body stay in hyper-drive.

Learn to cherish slowing down as much as hard work. Rise to the challenges in your life but settle in. Not everything needs to be a sprint or a race. Be productive but enjoy yourself and your loved ones along the way.

How does your body or mind signal you to slow down? Do you wait until the signals are really loud?

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Photo Credit: “Orchestration of Sleep” by Casey David

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Comfort for Hail Storm Size Stress

Posted on March 28, 2012 | 5 Comments

hail-storm

Life can be a hail storm. At times you feel like you are pelted by hail of many sizes. Your kids are sick for the second time this month, your car breaks down, and you have a new work assignment to learn.

If we are pelted with one piece of hail at a time, it’s much easier to absorb it. But it can be hard to dodge the hail if we are caught in the storm. How do we ride out the storm when we are hit with many stressors at once?

Do you stay hyper-alert, waiting for the next bad thing to happen? Feeling like you are on edge, gripping your seat, and tensing your muscles. Having trouble relaxing and sleeping because you are waiting for the next storm to drop on your head.

Stress Vs. Stress Response

Revving your body and mind up during stress is useful to take on the task at hand. And when the stressor is over, most of us naturally return to our pre-stressed self. Yet others live in an almost constant state of feeling stressed out.

You don’t have to stay in fight or flight mode, you can learn to notice the difference between a perceived and real threat. Instead of responding to every stressor as an invasion, infection, or rejection, you can squash your misperception before it eats away at you.

In doing so, you are separating your response to the stressor from the stressor.  There is power in realizing that you have some control over how you think about the hail storm that is hitting you.

The more stressors that hit me, the harder I work and the more I take on. I start seeing everything as negative and a threat to my well-being. It’s not until I slow down that I can find a new way to think about what’s stressing me out.

Self-Reflection for Comfort During Life’s Storms:

Not convinced? Grab your journal and take some time for some self-reflection. Explore the idea of how you can settle down during life’s storms. Respond to the following words, ideas, and images in your journal.

Quote:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ~ Charles Darwin

Photo: “A Bend in the River”

golden-river-bend

Question: Is your stressor a real or perceived threat? If it’s a perceived threat, how do you change how you think about it so you can settle into it?

I love comments so please share what ideas you discover. Here’s to learning how to slow down and lean into the stormy times of our lives. Let the self-soothing begin!

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Enjoy reading this post? Subscribe via email and receive a Free E-Book (Take Charge of Your Worry: 10 Ways to Manage Anxiety Naturally).

Photo Credits:

Take Cover by Ben McIver

A Bend in the River by Steve H.

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4 Bold Ways to Break Self-Imposed Limits

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Comments Off

Break Limits

Editor’s Note:  This is a guest post from Andrej Hendelja

Boundaries are nothing new. We set limits, draw lines in the sand, and say what is and isn’t possible for us. But breakthroughs don’t occur when we adhere to these limits, they happen when we push past them. Greatness demands the ability to leave our comfort zone and redefine what is possible.

The difference between a good life and a great one is the thirst for more than what is expected of you. It’s the difference between ordinary and exceptional.

4 Ways to Breakthrough Self-Imposed Limits:

1. Do Something You Haven’t Done Before

The most obvious way to break out of your comfort zone is to apply yourself at something you’ve never tried before. It’s easy to stick to what you know. We tend to keep working on the things we’re good at because it’s easier to get praise for it and we don’t have to work too hard. But most breakthroughs occur when somebody takes a step out of their “area,” and works on something that pushes the limits of their experience.

When you try something new, you may soon discover that you enjoy it or that you are fairly good at it. Most people already know this. The true benefit of trying something new is the expanded perspective it gives you. Most inspiration occurs when we are out of our element and forced to think about things in a new way.

2. Start Conversations With People You Don’t Know

We have a tendency to only speak with people who think the way that we do. Even if we don’t already know them, we at least seek the comfort of somebody who shares a similar worldview: a job, a political stance, a religion, or a race, for example. By communicating with people who come from a different walk of life, we start to see things in ways that we haven’t seen them before.

The more differing points of view we expose ourselves to, the more interesting and enjoyable we become as human beings. Conversations add spice to your life and make your life more enjoyable. The realization that other people think differently than you will expand your mind and open up new avenues in life. You may even create new and interesting solutions to the problems in your life.

3. Visit New Places

Sometimes the best way to breakthrough your limits is to physically surpass the geographical limits you have been confined to. Going to new places is a great way to discover who you really are and what your potential really is.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go on a vacation, although it is advisable to do as much traveling as you can. It can also be traveling to different parts of your home town. You may not realize how much of your own town you haven’t explored. Try visiting places that you’ve previously avoided or were unaware of. Odds are you’ll discover some pretty interesting places and learn a thing or two.

4. Increase Your Spontaneity

Some people are naturally spontaneous, and may actually do a better job of breaking their limits by deciding to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. But for the rest of us, this is a crucial skill that is important to cultivate.

How can you become more spontaneous? Make it a part of your schedule. As ironic as that may sound, it’s a strategy that works. Make an effort to do at least one new thing every day or each week. Most of us are creatures of habit, and all it takes is a regular shakeup to make us realize just how big the world is and how many possibilities are available to us.

How I Broke Through Limits in My Lifestyle:

I set out to breakthrough my sedentary lifestyle by engaging a social networking website that connects travelers and hosts. The first hosting experience motivated me on so many levels.

The two brothers I hosted were backpackers traveling through India, while on their way to Europe. (It’s been five months since they left home and it will be another five months until they return home – if they ever do.) Unlike my guests, I realized that I had settled myself in a long time ago. It unsettled me in a good way.

I got out of the house for five days straight, met dozens of people and tired myself out from talking. The result? I have a couple of places to stay in Canada if I ever visit, a great curry-zucchini recipe, a couple of words of Italian and French – and two friends to last a lifetime.

What is your favorite way to breakthrough the barriers of self-imposed limits?

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Andrej is currently settled in Europe as a research journalist for a private high school. He’s passionate about his own personal and relationship development.

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