Feeling excited, motivated and energized by work and life is something many of us aim to achieve. But what happens when we’re on a treadmill of striving for a more exciting moment and unable to anchor our joy in the “here and now”? The western culture values the accumulation of actions and accomplishments, which, for some, can deplete energy reserves quickly. Burnout is a consequence and common phenomena among many career and life-driven individuals. As a Career Wellness Coach, I’ve worked with many individuals who want to feel more energized and aim to create an optimal balance between health, work, love and fun. Though, many people feel wired by the demands and complexities of life. One strategy for creating an optimal balance and gaining energy is slowing down to create ease.
Slowing down in everyday life
Slowing down in everyday life is about attending to the subtleties that appear around us. Have you ever taken the time to pause and look around your room to observe something beautiful, something unique or something that you’ve never noticed before with a child-like wonder? Taking time to observe the presumably mundane world gives us a chance to pause, fine-tune our awareness, and illuminate the simplicity of beauty. Slowing down is also opportunity to attend to our physiology with care and curiosity. How is your body feeling at this moment? What does your breathing feel like? Is it slow, shallow or heavy? Do you feel relaxed, neutral or tense? Consider what your body needs in this moment to feel at ease by taking three mindful breaths. Simple mindful breathing is a chance to slow down and activate peace in the mind and body.
Bringing mindfulness to life activities to create ease
Slowing down the mind and the body brings new life to a given moment. Feeling contracted in the body because of a constant grind can hinder our ability to focus, as well as feel at ease and present in life activities. Whether we are writing a report, talking to a colleague, doing research for a project, cleaning the home, playing with a pet or brainstorming a new idea, it’s important to be present and alert in the mind-body mechanism. Certain activities require spaciousness and mindfulness in order to be done effectively, efficiently and with ease. This ease brings forth an energetic quality and sense of aliveness in whatever we are doing.
Fostering life-enhancing skills and attitude through presence
Think of a time when you felt alive and joyful in what you were doing. What activity were you engaged in? Were you in a state of flow by losing the knowledge of time and space? Did you feel creative and fulfilled? Some of our richest moments were not rushed. And when we deliberately take time to slow down and become aware of our state of being in rich experiences, we bring forth freshness and appreciation to the “here and now” for betterment of ourselves and others. Attuning our attention to what’s happening in the moment helps foster life-enhancing skills and attitudes like creativity, compassion, gratitude and generosity. Take a moment to ask yourself how you can slow down and fine-tuned mindful awareness in order to foster life-enhancing attitudes that matter most to you.
