In last week’s installment of Feel Good Friday, we discussed the options many had who recently found themselves with an over abundance of time to work with.
However, this edition did not speak to those who have found themselves on the opposite end of that spectrum … those who have had to work double their usual job to adapt and overcome to recent life.
Many of those individuals have found that free time is a precious commodity, and that they often aren’t able to balance what they do have to accomplish all that they’d like to get done.
“Gaining Back Our Time” is an observed day on Oct 23 of every year. It is a movement dedicated to improving our lives and the lives of others. In the spirit of educating and guiding towards a more organized schedule, I’ve included some helpful hints from Alan Wei, owner of the blog #wellnesswednesday,” from “Project Happiness.”
1. Sit in the morning. He writes that the morning offers a time in which individuals can practice their mindfulness. What better time than in the morning. Like many of us, we oftentimes hit the snooze couple of times, rush into the shower, grab a cup of coffee and it’s off to work we go.. According to Alan, taking a few moments when you wake up to gather your thoughts and just be present in the moment can be relaxing and reduce stress.
2. Eating mindfully. He encourages us to appreciate the meal that we have before us. Because our life is so busy he encourages us to try slowing down when we do have a meal sometimes making the food yourself instead of going too fast food restaurants or grabbing quick bite on the road. He also encourages chewing thoroughly and enjoying every bite, that this may lead to better digestion and a much more relaxing and enjoyable meal time.
3. Spending time outside. Being one with nature is a much better way to achieve mindfulness. He encourages going for a walk becoming in touch with nature and to be present in the moment.
4. Meditate. If you’re not in the habit of meditating in the morning (or perhaps throughout certain times in the day) he encourages meditation as a way of relaxing and using controlled breathing techniques to slow down our breathing, heart rate and get in connection with our brain.
5. Focus on one task at a time. Oftentimes, we have several different things going on at any given moment throughout the course of our day. We forget to give full attention to the tasks we have at hand. He states that dividing our attention with other tasks does not allow us to give each task the attention it deserves.
These tips are all aimed at slowing us down and reminding us to be present in the moment. The tips he provides can also help us in striking a good work life balance. If you would like to know more about Allen and other tips, you can visit his website.