Stop "killing" time
Ask busy high achievers, busy Moms, busy people in general what their biggest stress is and you will most likely hear: " I am overwhelmed, too much to do, not enough time." Most people are in so much need to slow down, to pause, to take a break, and yet, they don't.
We get highjacked by distractions towards a world that is noisy with judgment , polluted with bad news and toxic with negativity. That is social media, mindless texts and emails, TV news, etc. These sources are robbing your energy and literally killing your time. And you want more time, don't you?
You want more time because you heart, body and soul are begging for stillness, for a chance to just BE, a chance to rest and restore. Addicted behaviors, lack of awareness and fear of being alone in your silence keep you away from what you need the most.
The fact about time is that we all have enough time to do what really matters to us. We have 168 hours a week. Assuming you have somewhat a healthy lifestyle, you sleep 8 hours a night, you work 40-45 hours a week and you spend about 4 hours driving, getting dressed, showering...You have left 63 hours. So you eat, work out, hang out with friends, do things that make you happy and healthy?
What are you doing with the 63 hours? Are you using those hours to learn, to grow, to heal, to connect, to get healthy and to recover? Or are you killing time?
As I teach "time" management to busy realtors and other high achievers, I go right into personal growth arena. We discuss personal and professional values and life's vision and goals. And now I go even deeper on my classes, I teach the art of stillness, being present in our time.
These days to hear someone saying " I am just killing time" is almost a sin. In an era that most people are depleted, overwhelmed and stressed out, that extra time that we have in between traffic lights, the waiting room at the doctors office, or waiting for a friend that is late need to be taken as a gem moment, a gift, a chance for renewal, recovery, a chance to restore our balance. A chance to reset our energy and calibrate our emotions. A chance to look around and appreciate the beauty.
Stop killing time.
Use those gem moments as opportunities to take few deep breaths, to check in with your body and soul by asking "How I am doing, how Am I feeling"? When you do that, you become present. You move way from stress and overwhelm. You balance your systems for a minute or two.
That one minute or two, several times a day, every day might save you from becoming chronically stressed, which causes mood issues, hormones imbalance, brain fatigue, lack of clarity and focus, disconnection and disease.
You restore balance. Balance is simply being here right now. So when you are at work, you work, you focus, you have fun, you are engaged. When you are home with family, you are home with the family. You simply become fully present with people or activities you are doing.
"In the present moment there is no stress, overwhelm or anxiety."
Invest in your time. Choose simple things to do because there is so much power in the simple.
Much love, Alex.