Tag Archives: take a break

Are You Running Yourself into the Ground?

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Sunset

“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie
Which we ascribe to heaven.”
~William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well

Let’s Play a Little Doctor Doctor

Say you get sick.  Your physical body needs time to repair.  A no-brainer?

It’s important to have down-time when your body is out of alignment physically — which we call having dis-ease or an ailment.  We all know this.  To carry on ‘as per normal’ when your body is feeling worn-out, sore or in pain is futile and leads to more suffering.

Let’s try this out on something slightly different…

Call in the Psychiatrist

StrollSo, now why can’t we seem to gift ourselves with the same ‘down-time’ when our emotional body is ‘sick’?

Sometimes we get into a slump or feel down — this is human!  If we don’t let ourselves be in this space and give ourselves some time to get quiet, reflect and just ‘sit with it’, we can make it ten times worse.  It can even lead to a stronger form of depression.

Denial of the space you’re in is suppressing something that is just going to come around again sometime in the future to nip your ass.

Peaks and Troughs

The other day I felt elated.  Oh my wobbly, knitted hat!  I was on cloud 9 and nothing could get me down.  I had figured out life on earth and all the other idiosyncrasies therein and I was feeling good.

The next day I woke up in the pits of hell.

What happened?

Shit Happens

I could blame it on solar flares, the news, collective pain-bodies, minor psychosis, PPISS (Post Physical Incarnation Stress Syndrome — or taking ‘the piss’) or even schizophrenia — but there you have it, my mood swing saw me in tears by the end of the day wishing for it to all end.

I felt like a cop-out — someone who writes about how to get out of emotional quagmire and here I am sitting waiting for the ground to swallow me whole.  I felt like such a hypocrite!

I even went over some of my ‘how to pull yourself out of depression’ stuff from my articles but it was too late for that.  I was descending into the smelly pits of Beelzebub’s bowels.

Now, in my defense, some of that advice can and does work but this case was slightly different.

The next morning I woke up with the phrase ‘zero point’ in my head.  I do this sometimes — have dreams or little ‘a-ha’ moments in my sleep or just before I’m rebirthed into a brand new day and I usually can recollect it soon after I awaken.

I sat on my couch with my morning cuppa, deep in contemplation over these two words…’zero point’.

Zone Out to Zone In

Feeling downZero point (in my understanding of it) is the whittling down of one energy to it’s lowest point in order to gain momentum to a new energy.

My ‘depression’ did feel like I had wound down to an almost nullified space, so this was intriguing.

Here’s the upshot of what came through when I meditated on this concept and what I should do about my feelings:

  • There is an elated, blissful, enlightened self
  • There is a shadow self
  • Merge the two
  • It’s okay to feel down and you don’t have to put your ‘Julie Andrews’ slippers on if they don’t fit in the moment
  • Be silent and sit with your feelings
  • What’s in it for you?
  • Find the source of the problem and bring it to the light
  • That’s how you merge the shadow and light self
  • You can’t just be one or the other — there’s no balance in that
  • Be a Gemini and merge the ‘celestial’ with the ‘corporeal’ (see here for the mythologically captivating tale of how the constellation ‘Gemini’ came about)

What the blazes am I on about?  Simple:

It’s okay to feel the emotions of duality — there should be no judgment in that.  Just find your balance (zero point).  Don’t let either one swallow you whole or you will be out of alignment.

“People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.”  ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

You are both Glorious and Diabolical. Embrace it!  Accept who you are fully and totally.

Other articles you may enjoy:

What Always Helps Me Out When I’m Stuck in ‘The Void’

3 Bizarre and Unreasonable Motives to Stay on the Planet

5 Easy Steps to Meditating (No Lotus Position Required)

You may also enjoy this book:

Paperback and Kindle Available at Amazon

6 Ways to Alleviate Stress Now

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Mapping your way out of stress

We seem to be living in tumultuous times.  If you don’t take a moment out of the ‘rat race’ it can consume you.

If you feel like you are running around on a hamster wheel or wonder when the light is going to be seen at the end of this future tunnel — then please read on…

Practical steps to take:

You cannot be fully productive if you are running on empty.  There are a few things you can do immediately that will relieve you of any immediate pressure.

  • Breathe
  • Drink lots of water
  • Fresh air
  • Exercise/stretch
  • Write out a plan or strategy
  • Take frequent small breaks

Now, let’s take a closer look…

Breathe

It is very important to breathe correctly.  Most of us do what is called ‘shallow’ breathing. When you breathe properly, you are breathing into your diaphragm and better still, to really oxygenate your body (which will make you feel more awake and alive) — take a deep breath into your stomach.  Let your stomach fill up so that you look like you are pregnant. Whilst you are breathing in — count to 5.  Hold it for 5 and then release it to the count of 5. Do this 3 times.  If you can do this every hour it can help immensely to keep you awake and in tune with your self.Here is some more information with regards to breathwork:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathwork

Water

Drink lots of pure, clean water.  This will flush out unwanted toxins in your body and keep you flowing.  You will be able to have more clarity of thought and the health benefits of drinking water are too numerous to go into.  Suffice to say that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain in doing this.Too much coffee intake can do more harm than good, so instead of reaching for the java juice — have a glass of water.

Fresh Air

Breathe

We were not meant to be crammed in doors all day, especially if you work in a shop or office.  Go outside, when you can, even if it is for a minute or two and do the breathing exercise.

Even better, whenever you can, take a stroll in a forest or on the beach (if you don’t have access to any of those — go find yourself a tree to sit under).  It does wonders for the body and mind.

Exercise and Stretching

I know those of you who are most stressed probably feel you don’t have time for this step. But even if it is for a couple of minutes — something is better than nothing.

Get up and stretch — if you know a few yoga stretch moves then do that.  If you feel too embarrassed to do it in front of your colleagues then go to the bathroom and stretch.

Stretching releases built up energy and allows it to flow through your body in a balanced way instead of accumulating and being stagnant.  You will feel brighter and more alive.

You should take at least 30 minutes of daily exercise.  Go for a walk on your lunch break. You need to plan for exercise, especially for those of you on a strict schedule.  If you plan for it, you will allow it to happen.  There is always time for something important.

Strategies

If you are stressed out, the likelihood is that you have far too much on your mind.  One of the best techniques for de-cluttering the internal mind chatter is to get it out of your head and onto a whiteboard or diary/notebook.

This way you can see what needs to be done.  You can prioritize it and then  you can start to implement it.  When you do this, it will give you a sense of relief because you will not be stressing over things that you might have forgotten.  All you need to do is consult the board or notebook and then tick it off once it is done.

This really helps to keep your sanity and a clear vision of what needs to be done and in what order of importance.  You will truly start to see the light at the end of the tunnel if you do this.

Breaks

TelephoneYou were never meant to be glued to a computer screen or meant to be shut up in any environment, so, when you can — get up and take a break.  Go walk around the office or walk to the water cooler (don’t forget to have a cup!) and back.

Even little breaks can mean greater success.  They can lessen your chance of developing migraines and headaches and they can lessen your stress when you take a break from a problem.

Sometimes even taking a break can allow you time and space to sort out a problem that you would not have done if you were never removed from it.

Life is for living not stressing

Finally, I would like to end off by saying — life is for living and not stressing out.   What can be done — do.  What can’t be done should not be stressed over.  Worry never solved a problem but clear thinking and planning has.  Shelve the worry and create a space for solution by following the above steps.

Please share with us any tips and tricks you have learnt or discovered about relieving stress.

Other articles you may enjoy:

Serenity…Your Passport to Peace

5 Easy Steps to Meditating (No Lotus Position Required)