Undoordinary
Rest is a special time where the body winds down and because of this you feel the world stop for a moment. In a fast paced society, we have to remind ourselves more and more to slow down. The pattern starts here. I’m feeling confident and on top of the world because I’m killing it at my to-do list. I’m well rested because I’ve had good balance for quite some time. Throw anything at me and I’ll take it and then some. This is a dangerous state of euphoria because this is when I overcommit myself to events, dates, and obligations that I can’t keep. They sounded exciting in the moment, but I didn’t put enough thought into my decision because I was riding my wave of good vibes and forgot to check-in during the low tides. My goal is to design a life with balanced creativity, action, and rest. We are complex, multi-dimensional individuals with many passions. To avoid the aftermath of an emotional hurricane, I remind myself to stop thinking about the next thing ahead, and live life right now with the following exercises.
Breathing meditation.
Exhale slowly, letting go of all negative energy inside. Inhale deeply, breathing in positivity and stillness. Imagine you are a tree grounded in the earth, solid and sturdy with every gust of wind that blows by. What do you see? What do you feel? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you taste? Connecting with my breath makes me more in tune with my mind, body, and the present moment. This all helps me get in my “zone.†Magic happens when I tune out all of the noise around me and focus on the task at hand.
Take at least a 15min break away from the computer.
On those days where I’m bouncing from meeting to meeting with lots of action items in between, it’s easy for me to get overwhelmed and my brain gets clogged. I like to take a pause on life by going for a quick stroll around the block, making a cup of tea, reading my book, or talking with a coworker/friend. Just 15 min. can change my perspective for the day and I come back to my desk refreshed.
Sleep, sleep and more sleep.
I try to catch 7-8 hours a night, but everyday is different given my workload or activities outside of work. If I sleep say 5-6 hours one night, I’ll make it a point to catch 8-10 hours the next night. After that long of sleep, I feel so good! On the weekends, I like to fill my “sleep bank†and sleep 10-12 hours or nap for 3 hours. I don’t set an alarm on weekends, so I think that’s just how much sleep my body is craving. I like to have these extra hours in my “bank†so I can pull energy from it during the week. If I’m on any less than 6 hours of sleep, I start talking weird and you can see it in my eyes, so my best self is a well rested self.
Journal.
In order for me to make sense of my racing mind, I like to journal as often as I can. It can be for 10 min. Anytime of day because I just like to connect the pen to the page and get my thoughts out, stream-of-consciousness style. The words end up pouring out and I feel a sense of peace seeing my ideas come to life.
Take time for yourself.
You are your number one priority, and only you can make your own world spin. We all have the same amount of time in a day; you have the power to control what you do with it. What makes you feel your best? Do the things that bring joy to your life and design your life to do that thing more often.To stay afloat and on top of my craft, I need just as much sleep as I do action. For every movement, there’s stillness. With stillness comes creativity. With creativity comes innovation. Sleep and wake up to fresh ideas.
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