Do you feel your mind sometimes is like a hamster on a wheel running as if its life depended on it?
Racing, running and in the end, going nowhere but in circle.
Why do we think that in order to survive, to live, we need to do. We need to race here, race there. We can’t relax until we have finish all our errands or all our items on the todo list. Why do we do that to ourselves?
Is that normal? Is that life?
Do you find yourself trying to catch your breath at times? As if you just put your body through a marathon and you forget to train for the run.
Well, I’ve come to the realization that that’s not living. That’s a form of imbalance. That’s my mind tricking me into believing that’s how I find love, validation or praises. Is that really what we are meant to do for the rest of our lives?
Are we meant to Be in a rat race?! And do, do, do?!
A year ago almost to the day, I had an Ah Ah moment. I knew I needed to get off that wheel. I needed to stop and take a breath. I wasn’t sure why or for how long but I needed to pause, just be still for a while.
Even after taking that pause from work, it didn’t all stop at once. Initially, my mind didn’t like that. It was angry. My ego was telling me I should be at work, I should be doing. I couldn’t stop those thoughts even though my body couldn’t catch up to my racing mind. I was anxious, I was antsy, I felt shame for not doing anything.
It took weeks for my body to start feeling peace and acceptance. It took even longer for my mind to stop racing. My whole being was finally coming to a slow halt. I was finally able to breath more profoundly. I was also able to appreciate the art of doing nothing.
In that moment, I knew I needed to modify my lifestyle. It wasn’t enough to just eat healthy and have a good sleeping pattern. Those choices I knew help me stay sane. I needed to also find something to help my mind and body relax and stay in equilibrium. I couldn’t keep up with the rat race. That would not be sustainable long term. If something wasn’t done, I knew I would need another break soon. It might bring me to a total breakdown. I needed to avoid that at all costs.
How to find equilibrium?
I decided to focus on finding equilibrium.
“Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. It relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins. “ ~healthguide.org
And so, I signed up for personal training sessions with my dear friend Noni, a certified PT coach. I knew I needed to change my sedentary lifestyle. I needed to move and be active. Exercises would be good for my mental and physical state.
And then after making that decision, I knew I needed to also find something for my racing brain.
“ Meditation is especially beneficial for reducing stress. Studies show it can also reduce depression and anxiety, and help people manage chronic pain. ~ mhanational.org
That brought me to incorporate mindful meditation to my daily routine. At first, it was simply an 10 minute guided meditation in the mornings. Over the past year, I’ve increased my length of time and its frequency.
Both of these new practices did not yield results immediately but I know deep down that I would not have remain calm, cool and collective during this pandemic if I did not have these healthy habits. Don’t try to change your life all at once. Try incorporating small changes, step by step.
“Success is a sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out!”
The theme for World Mental Health day 2020 is move for mental health. So on that note, I’m going to go outside, get some fresh air, breath in nature, embrace the warmth of the sun and enjoy the windy Fall morning by taking a stroll on my favorite path.
