When I think back to my life as a child, my day was hardly stressful. I had time to play, explore, and ponder. I was lucky enough to feel boredom--a lot.
'Stressed out and full of anxiety' was how I would have described almost all the adults around me at any given moment. They had bills to pay, bureaucracy to pay attention to, and children to raise.
No that I am a grown adult with children, I understand all that stuff that pulled them away from what could have been a more fun and spontaneous lifestyle.
The last belly laugh I shared with my nine-year-old was hard core truth of one thing: laughter is real medicine.
We take ourselves all too seriously. Our 'to-do' lists are crowing our lives when we could be choosing to have a 'to-be' list So, in the name of reconnecting with our inner child--because we could all use a little extra fun in our lives--let's try a few of these out and see how it affects our underlying stress levels.
Slow down.
I know this one is hard for so many of us. The best way to slow down is to set a goal and do our best to follow it. I recently joined an online community that allows me to meditate any time 24/7 from Monday to Friday. I am going to do it right now and be right back to finish this post. I lasted only 12 minutes, but I am happy because big goals start with tiny steps and I feel brave for making a new choice today. It feels like a win to me and that is all that matters. Tomorrow maybe I will make it to 15 minutes. And so on...
Procrastinate.
Let the chores go for an hour or two. Walk barefoot in the grass and reconnect with the shades of green in the surrounding natural world. Let the cool find its way into the bottom of your lungs. When I am able to really surrender to the moment (while in nature), it is equivalent to the effects of a mini retreat or vacation. My soul is renewed and I have not spent a cent on a massage, airline ticket, or fancy five star meal. Simple is free and can be one of the healthiest choices of our day.
Reprioritize.
Once we have had a moment to catch our breath, and drop some of the busyness that has taken a strangle hold on our joy, we can step back and look at the big picture. We can remember what we love about ourselves and others. We can align our goals with our dreams and make small (or large) steps toward a healthier and. happier lifestyle. We can be authentic and be in touch with our inner voice.
Life can feel out of control because if we do not stop every once and a while, we will be pulled a million different ways. What we focus on becomes us. We only have a short time to do our best work, sow e might as well be heading in a direction that feels empowering and beneficial to our planet. Start small and keep going. We can do our best work when we commit to ourselves and our growth.
