Life, for most of the people these days, has become a series of back-to-back marathons. These marathons are driven by so many reasons, the majority of them being materialistic achievements to fit in the archetype set by culture.
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Some people (me included) feel the urge to work all the time even because they can’t bear to get bored or left alone. They are actually addicted to the everyday hustle and the daily busyness. More accurately, they are addicted to the buzz they get from the chemicals their brain produces as a part of the stress response. Only to realize later, how draining it is, physically and mentally, leading to breakdown and extreme overwhelm.
This perspective echoes our post The Art of Slowing Down, which shares practical ways to introduce calm moments into your everyday life.
My attitude of, “I don’t want to lose out on any opportunity to get more done” made me feel as if I was in a race with the rest of the world, to succeed.
Well, the lesson learnt the hard way is, Life is not a marathon, rather it is a series of sprints. Instead of endlessly running the life marathon, we must treat it like a sprint. Where we are able to switch the recovery mode and give ourselves enough downtime to recharge our system.
This principle of oscillation, where periods of energy expenditure is followed by periods of energy recovery must be taken not only yearly, half yearly or quarterly but also Daily. Won’t that be amazing if even for 5-10 mins, a few times a day we take some time out for energy recovery.
On a daily basis, if we alternate between periods of intense activity and periods of gentle activity and rest, we can work at our best. There is this super simple 5 mins technique to replenish our energy which can be practiced any time of the day. It is called “Systematic Relaxation Technique”.
This is the way it goes:
- Relax in your most comfy seating. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
- Self-instruct yourself in a way as if you’re telling yourself a bedtime story.
- Simply say each of the following to yourself as you follow your own instructions:
- I relax my eyes
- I relax my jaw
- I relax my tongue
- I relax my shoulders
- I relax my arms and hands
- I relax my chest and stomach
- I relax my thighs, calves and feet
- Pause for a little while to notice the sensations and feelings.
- Notice the incessant mind activity coming to a still.
- Repeat some pre decided affirmations to say to yourself if you wish to.
- Stay with this feeling of relaxation and unburdening for a couple of minutes.
We will be able to return to full waking awareness, refreshed and alert. More relaxed we get, the better we feel, and the more efficient we become at work. We will be able to get stronger and more focused than before. More so, we will get connected to the inner power, to the genie in us!!!
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You Have Enough.
You Do Enough.
You Are Enough.
RELAX.