Become Blind to Time to Slow Life Down

A recent search for "how to slow down and enjoy life" yielded 432 million results.

 

Evidently, this is a topic that is on the minds of a lot of people. There is a desire to distance ourselves from the breakneck speed of daily life. Even if you are a workaholic who believes in powering through 16-hour days and always pushing for more effort and more productivity, there are times when you wish you could sit out the rat race and relax for a spell.

 

We all have our own unique reasons for wanting to slow down. Some people have worked long and hard for several decades. This is the time they feel they should be able to kick back and enjoy their remaining years. Others who long for a less hectic and demanding life are much younger. Yet they still appreciate slowing their racing minds, stepping away from a constantly busy world, and enjoying downtime.

 

Whatever your reasons for wanting a slower pace in your life, there's a simple answer. 

 

However, it will require that you do something totally radical compared to what the world expects of you.

 

To slow down the world and enjoy as much time as possible, you must become blind to time.

 

How Many Times a Day Do You Look at a Clock?

 

Think about it. How many times in your normal daily routine do you check the time? For many people, it's the first thing they do daily. Even though they know when their alarm clock went off because they set it the night before, they still look at their clock.

 

A lot of people use the alarms on their cell phones. Though they know what time their display will show them when the alarm goes off, they check anyway.

 

Fast-forward to the end of your crazy, busy, hectic day. You are in bed and about to shut off the lights and go to sleep. What's one of the last things you do? Yep, you check the time.

 

Our minds are constantly worried about time. What time do you need to be at work? Is it time for lunch yet? How long before you get off of work? Check the time, and you'll know.

 

When we're not working and our time is our own, we check the time even more frequently. You don't want to miss your favorite reality show, so you'd better check your phone to see what time it is. You're meeting your friends for lunch, and you don't want to be late so ... check the time.

 

For several personal and job-related reasons, we are clock watchers all day. How can you truly appreciate your life and what's happening if you constantly worry about the time?

 

Shut Your Eyes to Time

 

Spend some quality time each day, not worried about the passage of time. When you feel the urge to pull out your phone and check the time, don't. Get outside with mother nature or somewhere else where there aren't any clocks. Slow down. When you start to divorce yourself from a sense of urgency to know what time it is, you begin to notice what your life is really about.

 

You can appreciate all aspects of your life, mundane and amazing when you don't operate under any time constraints. The most efficient way to slow down and truly take part in your existence is to stop measuring time.

 

Even the most plugged-in and constantly connected person has time in their schedule to throw clock-watching out of the window for a little bit. 

 

Do something you enjoy doing, that thing you do that always causes you to lose sense of time. Spend some time with your friends. Schedule activities without time limits and remind you about the truly important things in life, like smiling, laughing, being happy, and creating great memories.

 

Constant clock watchers may not realize it, but they are watching their life tick away, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. Doesn't it make more sense to live life and enjoy the experience while you can rather than letting the passage of time dictate everything you do? Create a life where you can be blind to time at least a little bit each day, and you'll have more time to enjoy your life.

Slow Down by Learning to Spend Alone Time with Your Thoughts

People in simpler times enjoyed sitting and doing nothing. This was back before technology refused to allow us much freedom from distractions. We are constantly assaulted with electronically powered messages, whether from companies trying to sell us something or the people in our lives sharing pictures of cuddly kittens and funny babies.

 

Oddly, people used to crave do-nothing time when they had a lot of it available. We should desire it more now since it's rarely found.

 

We can't seem to allow any time without being spoken for. What do we do when we realize we have nothing to do? We quickly snatch up our phones and get to work busying our minds. Seldom do we relax, shut off all distractions, and enjoy a little free time to rest and re-energize.

 

By the way, if you would rather fill your life with meaningless activities rather than spend some time just thinking, you're definitely not alone. The results of a study published in the July 4, 2014, Science magazine show this is very common.

 

Psychologist Timothy Wilson, a member of the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia, led a team of researchers that studied how often people preferred to spend time doing nothing other than contemplating their thoughts. They discovered that most people prefer to stay busy doing anything rather than sit and think.

 

Here is one of the shocking bits of data taken from that research.

 

"In 11 studies, we found that participants typically did not enjoy spending 6 to 15 minutes in a room by themselves with nothing to do but think, that they enjoy doing mundane external activities much more, and that many prefer to administer electric shocks to themselves instead of being left alone with their thoughts. Most people seem to prefer to be doing something rather than nothing, even if that something is negative."

 

Give Yourself the Gift of Some Quiet Time and Contemplate Your Thoughts

 

Isn't it amazing that in multiple studies, some participants preferred sending a jolt of electricity through their bodies rather than enjoying some quiet time doing nothing? That tells us how much we have bought into the idea that we should constantly be on the move and on the go, striving to achieve more and always seeking the next experience.

 

That’s the perfect recipe for mental fatigue, the debilitating effects of constant stress, burnout, and mental breakdown.

 

Spend some time every day with nothing but your thoughts. You don't have to think anything at all if you like. Prove to yourself that you don't need to be plugged in and wired up every waking moment of the day. Your body and mind need time to rest and repair to be at your best. 

 

So, start scheduling downtime in your day. Do nothing at all. Treat yourself to some well-deserved rest and enjoy the present moment. You find yourself more capable and productive when you plug back into your constantly wired world. You may also discover that this quiet time is enjoyable, and you'll start scheduling more.

Slow Down & Enjoy Life

Frazzled is a word that perfectly encapsulates some of our feelings about our modern lives. When you're frazzled, you feel like you're at your wits' end. Words like exhaustion, strain, and burnout come to mind. You feel not only fatigue, but like you have things coming at you from so many directions you don't know what to do.

 

This can result from a hectic lifestyle that never slows down. You think the harder and the faster you go, the more you accomplish. What actually happens is quite the opposite. Your productivity can plummet when you don't take the time to apply your energy with focus.

 

You can enjoy life when you slow down and stop rushing from one thing to the next. 

 

If you're constantly moving on to something else, your focus is on anything but the present moment. How can you appreciate your life and all that surrounds it if you don't stop and immerse yourself into your "right now" reality?

 

Life Is a Series of "Right Now" Moments, so Slow Down and Enjoy Them

 

An argument can be made that your past really doesn't exist. It certainly doesn't exist in the present moment. So how do you know that it ever really happened? The same can be said about the future since it is continually becoming the present.

 

If all you have are memories of the past and plans for the future, with no control over either of those states of being, why not embrace your present moment?

 

If you're constantly on the go and pushing to do something and be somewhere, you can spend your entire life chasing the future. This could lead to regret in your final moments because you don't remember what happened. You were so busy speeding through life that you didn't enjoy the journey.

 

Stop saying yes to all those overtime shifts at work. Don't make everything in your life a competition, feeling like you must beat someone else to make your life worthwhile. Work on one task at a time. Multitasking is really just multi-stressing. Tell the people you care about that you love them, and spend more quality time with them.

 

If you're sitting on a ton of vacation time at work, use it. Enjoy some time doing things you want instead of things you must do. Throughout your busy day, grab a few minutes here and there to stop. Take a deep breath and look around. Enjoy the moment and bask in the truly wondrous nature of your existence. If you don't slow down and enjoy life, it can slip by without you appreciating what a wonderful gift it is.

6 Steps You Can Take to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

It’s 2 PM, and you are frustrated because you have accomplished nothing. Your list is still as long as your arm and more have been piled on your plate. Your heart starts racing while you get more agitated at your circumstances. 

 

Then it hits – the feelings of overwhelm threaten to drown you. It’s possible to reign in those feelings of overwhelm and kick them to the curb. If you let these feelings get out of control, your body will reap the negative consequences, including poor eating and sleeping habits.

 

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

 

Are you ready to stop the feelings of overwhelm that threaten to overtake you? Put these six steps into practice: 

 

1. Determine What Is Triggering the Feeling of Overwhelm: What started these feelings? For example, were you late to work because you overslept after staying up too late watching movies or working on a project? Take note and write it down if you need to.
 
2. Reframe Your Feelings: You will probably be full of negative thoughts and emotions. Instead of giving in to anger or hopelessness, replace it with empowerment and determination to tackle what is before you.
 
3. Sit Up Straight: As you feel overwhelmed, you may respond physically by hunching forward and taking shallow breaths. Take a moment to straighten up and take several deep belly breaths. The change will reinforce to your brain that you are switching emotions. 

4. Decide on One Small Step You Can Take Right Now: Look over your list, and decide on a tiny thing you can do at that moment, and do it. Once it is accomplished, pat yourself on the back and choose another task. With each one, you slowly tackle those items that have been weighing you down. Also, you reinforce to yourself that you can get things done.
 
5. Get Over What You Can’t Control: Focusing on things you cannot control is a waste of time, energy, and emotions. If you can do something about a situation, then take action. However, if you cannot, why not relax and let worry slip away.
 
6. Guard Your Calendar: A significant culprit to being overwhelmed is not protecting your time. It is okay to say no and leave some white space on your calendar. It is up to you to ensure keep your calendar free from being overbooked.

 

You can beat the feelings of overwhelm by being proactive and getting your emotions under control. Once you do, you will be empowered to knock out that To-Do list and protect your time.

Secrets To Living A More Satisfying Life

There are times in life when one wonders if the life they are living is genuinely satisfactory. During these moments, it may appear that life is not always as purposeful as we had hoped. Perhaps you are dissatisfied with your life. 

 

Or maybe you're just tired of living a life that isn't always satisfying. It's not that you don't value the life you have. It's not like anything else. You have the impression that there must be more to life. That there has to be something out there that gives your life meaning. Something that makes you happy.

 

According to LifeHack, "Being fulfilled is an awesome feeling, but unfortunately, it's a feeling that many have trouble finding. Fulfillment is an easy concept on the surface, yet it's so elusive."

 

Here are some secrets for living a more satisfying life. They are appropriate for people of all ages, and some are more focused on the outside world while others are more concerned with self-improvement.

 

Tap Into The Power Of Community

 

The idea of togetherness and satisfaction is as ancient as time. Humans have always felt solace in the presence of other people. However, the fundamental truth of communal pleasure is that it is not about what we get out of the community; it is about what we contribute to it. 

Community is an idea that works best when the community is considered rather than each person in isolation. During the current economic crisis, for example, one study of metropolitan regions in the United States found that locations with the most civilian-focused social capital tended to have the highest contentment rates. In other words, communities with the most functional and linked networks were the most satisfied during difficult times.

 

Find Purpose In Your Work

 

The job you select may become a part of your personality and influence how you feel about yourself. Working in a profession that you see as useless and aimless may be physically and emotionally taxing, regardless of your salary or position. While changing employment routes may not be practical, you may still find purpose in your life by reorganizing your workweek or participating in other enjoyable activities such as charity work and hobbies. Participating in satisfactions and other flow-producing tasks may give your work more purpose and make it more satisfying.

 

Exercise Gratitude

 

The fact is that without a bit of effort, gratitude is difficult to come by. That shouldn't come as a surprise. Isn't it usually the case with the essential things? However, the battle for thankfulness is well worth the effort.

 

According to research, there is a "strong relationship" between being appreciative and well-being. The simple act of being grateful can help fight negative things like Depression and stress.

 

Spend Time With Family And Friends

 

Never overlook the influence of friends and family. These are the folks you can depend on to be by your side at all times, through ups and downs, in joyful and sad times. A companion signifies a connection that deserves our attention and, if nurtured, may provide us actual satisfaction in our lives. 

 

Family takes the idea of friendship and amplifies it to a notch. The relationship between family members is quite strong. It may be a tremendous source of anguish and despair in our lives when it is strained or damaged.

 

Add Some Everyday Excitement To Your Life

 

Life is designed to be one big adventure, so get out there and explore. Dare to say yes to things you've always talked yourself out of. Take up a new hobby, such as ballet dancing or mountain climbing.

 

Just keep in mind that satisfaction is not a goal. It is the process of designing a life that provides you joy, meaning, and contentment. You don't have to wait to be fully satisfied, there are things you can do every day to feel better and more fulfilled.

How To Practice Mindfulness: 5 Simple Techniques For Living In The Moment

Quite often, you probably think about your past and worry about your future. That makes it hard to enjoy life in the present. Learning to be mindful and living in the moment will help you appreciate your life more, and reduce those feelings of anxiety, stress and depression. 

 

Here are 5 techniques to help you practice mindfulness and live in the moment: 

1. Take note of your current surroundings. 

 

The first step in living in the moment is to notice your surroundings. You may not often take the time to look around and see what goes on around you. Sit down and take a deep breath. Then look at everything around you. 

• If you are indoors, what do the walls look like?

• What patterns do you see in the ceiling and floor?

• How many windows are in the room?

• How many ceiling lights or other lights can you see from your position?

 

When you stop and look more closely at your surroundings, and take in all that is around you, then you are more equipped to live in the moment. 

 

2. Begin to use self-care activities.

 

Another thing to put you in the present moment is doing activities that bring you joy and bring forth positive emotions. You might engage in a hobby you like, walk in nature, or spend time with family or friends. These activities all may make you feel happiness and a focus on the present moment. 

 

You need also to be mindful of your typical daily routine. Make some time for activities of self-care, like eating healthy meals or doing breathing exercises. 

 

3. Try to detach yourself from your phone whenever possible. 

 

In this age of smartphones, it seems that we live in fear of having idle time. You may grab your phone while waiting for a friend to arrive for lunch, or while you wait at a doctor’s office. 

 

Break that habit. Allow yourself to just sit and look around you, instead of checking in on social media. You can start this new habit when you wake up in the morning. After you get out of bed, don’t go for your phone immediately. Enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet and have a cup of tea or coffee. Or you can spend time in the morning with your family before the computer and phone call to you.

 

4. Use simple breathing exercises.

 

Mindful breathing may sound simple, but it’s a powerful tool to use when you manage your emotions, learn to live in the moment and improve your mental wellness. 

Breathwork has the ability to teach you how to pay closer attention to the sensations your body experiences daily. It usually has you focus on inhaling and exhaling, along with the sound your breath makes and the ways in which your body responds to breathing. 

5. Let go of your worry. 

 

It’s easy to say, “don’t worry,” but much harder to accomplish. Worrying today is not going to change what you encounter tomorrow. Each second spent worrying about your future is one second you have wasted in the present. Worrying removes you from living in the present and leaves you thinking about all the possibilities in your future. In that state, you cannot live in the moment. 

 

If you have circumstances that trouble you, focus on the ways you might solve existing problems now. Improve the moment you’re in. When you spend time focusing on what could happen in the future, it robs you of the experience of what is occurring now. Each moment in your present life moves very quickly – you don’t want to miss it. 

 

Conclusion

 

When you practice mindfulness to help you live in the moment, it can enhance your daily life. It promotes other positive emotions like contentment, happiness and gratitude. You can cultivate this skill if you are dedicated, and practice mindfulness consistently.

 

Using the techniques in this article, you can begin to live in the moment instead of worrying about the future. 

 

References

 

https://psychcentral.com/blog/what-it-really-means-to-be-in-the-present-moment#tips-for-being-more-present

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/simple-tips-for-learning-to-live-in-the-present/

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-do-you-live-in-the-present-5204439

 

Mastering Time Management For A Balanced Life

Daily life, work, school, commuting, and traffic jams are just a few things that make us feel as though we need more than a 24-hour day. Assume you sleep for eight hours nightly; that leaves 16 hours for getting things done.

 

If you work or go to school, subtract another eight hours. Now you have only 8 hours to do your grooming, play sports, cook, and eat meals, do the dishes, enjoy entertainment, clean the house, run errands, walk the dog, pay bills, and more. Very little time, if any, is left for hobbies, having fun, spending time with family, or socializing with friends. 

 

If you feel overwhelmed and as though there is never enough time, acquiring time management skills can help you significantly.

 

What is Time Management?

 

Time management is planning and tracking how you expend your time. With practice, you can develop the skills necessary to take control of your life and eliminate being overwhelmed by having too much to do.

 

The Benefits of Time Management

 

A study published by the National Library of Medicine concluded that "Time management impacts well-being and life satisfaction to a greater extent than performance.” 

 

Other benefits of time management include reduced stress, increased productivity and efficiency, control of your time, and the capability to meet deadlines.

 

This article aims to share time management strategies to help you live a balanced life.

 

How can I manage my time?

 

Plan Your Day

 

Create a roadmap for your day the night before. Start by listing the tasks that you must or want to complete. 

 

Now that you have a ‘to do’ list for the next day, categorize each item by ‘must do,’ ‘should do,’ and ‘low priority.’ 

Prioritize each ‘must do’ item, with the most important must do task first. Follow the same approach for ‘should do’ and ‘low priority’ tasks.

Are any of your tasks large or may take more than a day to complete? If so, break the task down into smaller pieces for manageability.

Can you delegate tasks to others?

As you make your daily plan, factor in downtime to relax and re-energize.

 

Once you have your prioritized list, you can start the next day knowing what you need to accomplish. Start with the highest priority and work through the list in order. Any leftover tasks can be reprioritized for the next day. 

 

Things to Avoid

 

1. Distractions

 

You can save time by preventing things that distract you from your planned activities and goals. For example, disregard emails and phone calls while focused on a task. Also, set boundaries so that others know when you are available. 

 

Suppose you block out a couple of hours daily to have some relaxation time or work on tasks that require total concentration. Share your availability and the reason with others that need to know. If your boundaries are breached, gently remind the person of the boundaries you’ve set.

 

2. It’s OK to Say No

 

When asked to do something that doesn’t fall within your plan, you have the option to say ‘no’ and briefly explain why. When you take on last-minute tasks that disrupt your plan, you may feel frustrated and more overwhelmed because you didn’t complete what you intended.

 

3. Multitasking

 

Juggling multiple tasks at the same time is not beneficial. It splits your attention, making it difficult to focus; you may take even more time and feel overwhelmed. Focus on one task at a time for clarity and efficiency.

 

4. Expect the Unexpected

 

Even the best plans can be disrupted by unforeseen events. Allow some float and flexibility for unknowns and be kind to yourself if the day didn’t go as planned.

Conclusion

 

We can accomplish more by having a daily plan and avoiding behaviors such as multitasking. You own your time; that’s not selfish. We must spend our time wisely for our well-being and a balanced life.

 

References

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7799745/

How to Deal with Constantly Feeling Overwhelmed

Do you get tense just thinking about all of the responsibilities you have? If so, you probably deal with feelings of fear, frustration, anxiety, and maybe even anger. Once in a while, you may deal with these feelings, but when it is each day for weeks or months on end, it is time to learn how to deal with them. 

6 Suggestions to Deal with the Constant Feeling of Overwhelm

Don’t let yourself get caught up in the struggles that come with an overstuffed plate. Instead, take these steps to help you deal with those constant feelings of overwhelm: 

• Try to Find the Primary Cause: Think about what is going on in your life or career. Ask yourself what is causing you to feel stressed and overwhelmed? Do you have an enormous project weighing you down? Is there something that can be delegated? If you can hand off the task, do so. If it is a large project, break it down into manageable steps. 

• Breathe Deeply: Feelings of overwhelm will leave you tense, and you may be breathing in shallow bursts. Slowing down to breathe from your diaphragm will help you lower your stress response. It will help you reassess what needs to be done.

• Establish Boundaries: You need to expect that you will disappoint people, but you will want to learn to tell people ‘no’ for your well-being. Do what you need to ensure your feelings of overwhelm do not overtake you. You may determine that you will not answer any email between the 9 and 10 AM hours so that you can focus on project work.

• Ask for Help: Sometimes, fighting overwhelm needs more than better calendar management. The listening ear of a friend or understanding HR personnel may be what you need to get through the day. They can help put things back into perspective.

• Keep a Journal: Journaling has many benefits. One of which is to help you clear your mind so you can process thoughts. Expressing yourself freely on paper will bring you much relief.

• Put Perfectionism in Its Place: We use perfectionism as an excuse to make some projects appear bigger than they are. It also encourages procrastination which means things pile up, and then you are overwhelmed at the mess. Instead, use your boundaries to determine if you really need to take on a particular project or if someone else can do it.

Fight back against overwhelm when you step back, assess the situation, take a deep breath, and ask for help.

Finding Balance Between Your Personal and Professional Life

In today’s fast-paced society, many feel that all they do is work without time left for family, friends, and leisure activities. While we are grateful that we have jobs, struggling to keep up with heavy workloads, other career challenges, and personal lives can be overwhelming. 

 

We tend to get so caught up in the rush that we forget to care for ourselves. As our stress increases, various physical and mental health issues, such as decreased immunity, poor concentration, irritability, depression, high blood pressure, and more, can occur.

 

Work-life balance is one of the most important considerations for your quality of life. The path to well-being is finding the balance between work and personal life. The following are several strategies to help reduce stress and achieve the desired balance. 

 

• Practice Self-Care: Boost your ability to cope with daily stressors by eating healthy foods, staying active, and getting sufficient sleep. Research shows a healthy lifestyle benefits physical and mental health, such as reduced stress and depression and a more robust immune system.

• You Deserve a Break: Take small breaks throughout the day to clear your mind and restore energy, whether at work or in your personal life.

• Create a Daily To-Do List: A practical approach to finding balance in your life is to have a plan or to-do list for each day. This helps you to be organized and control your personal and work tasks. 

Create your task list the night before to give yourself a roadmap for the upcoming day. Keep your work tasks and personal tasks separate to help foster a distinction between the two. Be sure to keep your lists realistic and don’t include unimportant tasks. Otherwise, you’ll race throughout the day trying to get everything done, causing more stress and disbalance.

 

• Practice Time Management: As you execute your daily to-do list, you’ll likely encounter interruptions and other activities that take focus away from achieving your goals. The following are several time management techniques that will help you be in control of your limited time. 

• Don’t Multitask: When you work on multiple tasks at the same time, you may end up wasting valuable time. Multitasking makes focusing on a single task challenging since your focus is split among several tasks.

• Control Interruptions: Prevent distractions by silencing your phone and checking emails only 1 – 2 times daily. Carve out 1 – 2 hours daily where you have no interruptions. Let those who need to know that this is your boundary and why.

• Communicate: When you feel that the demands and volume of work are too overwhelming, talk calmly and professionally with your employer. Your employer must be aware of your concerns to address them. If you have thoughts on a solution, share them.

Conclusion

OnePoll surveyed 2,000 employed Americans to find their reasons for quitting their jobs. The result is that 55% left their careers to find a better work/life balance. 

 

We understand that ongoing work/life stress can impact our well-being physically and mentally. Aside from finding a different career opportunity, there are positive steps that we can take to improve the work/life balance. 

 

Living a healthy lifestyle is essential to improve coping abilities and decrease stress. Taking short breaks throughout the day helps us to refresh and clear our minds. 

 

Creating a daily plan for work and personal tasks and time management allows us to take control of achieving our goals. Communication with colleagues and leadership is key, as well as taking control by reducing interruptions and eliminating multitasking. 

 

Regularly practicing the preceding strategies can lead to good habits that will help you find a balance between your personal and professional life. 

References:

 

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/diet-exercise-sleep

https://www.onepoll.us/portfolio/wisetail-the-great-resignation/