As the autumn leaves line the floor of the forest, gently and silently falling from the towering trees above me, it reminds me like the seasons, all things change. I stand for a few moments to take in their beauty and magnificence, reminding myself that many people have walked amongst these long standing giants and walked aimlessly through a natural point of beauty that we sometimes take for granted. I contemplated my surroundings and felt a deep stillness fill my whole being, I had created a moment so unlike any other moment and I wanted to savour every fabulous bit of it.
In our lives, we are robotically moving from one point to the next always trying to get somewhere, keeping to our paths of routine and cursing anything that gets in our way or stops us from moving forward. We have limited not only the physical body into time constraints but also our minds. As I observe the walkers and joggers keeping track of the number of steps they have done or the time it took them to run the last 5 kilometres, I somehow feel we have forgotten how to simply enjoy the feeling of being present in those moments.
I have walked some of the Camino de Santiago over the past two years and in witnessing the people that walk these routes each time, there is never any rush. To me it is like a walking meditation, walking mindfully and being aware of your surroundings and all the people that you meet along the way. It is waking up to life and slowing down to reconnect to yourself and others. When I return to Ireland, I always find the pace speeds up again as people return to ‘reality’. Have we made our reality one of rushing past each other just in order to get somewhere else or do something quicker?
I work with clients and groups every day that are wishing their days away to get through the week so they have the weekend off, to get through the weeks so they can have a week off, everything is measured in the counting down of time. A recent survey found that 66 per cent of us are stressed, feeling anxious, irritable or depressed. How we measure time has created an anxiety in our society that is overwhelming us as a nation.
“Every human being’s essential nature is perfect and faultless, but after years of immersion in the world we easily forget our roots and take on a counterfeit nature” ~ Lao-Tzu
We are struggling in life because we have forgotten who we are.
So what can we do to create the change we want within our own lives?
The first tip is to stop making excuses for ourselves! When we make an excuse we are blaming someone or something else for all that is going wrong in our lives and believing we have no control.
Every self-limiting thought that we use to explain why we are not living our lives to the fullest is something we can change by transforming those beliefs that keep us caught in a feeling of being trapped by our circumstances.
Ask yourself “what would my life look like if I didn’t’ use excuses?”
My favourite saying is “every day is a chance to begin again”, instead of feeling pressure to ‘change’ things in your life all at once, look at it simply by a transformation of your daily routine. As you become more aware of the ritual thought process that has kept you a prisoner in your own life, try a few simple changes one day at a time.
10 simple tips to get you started
- Get up 5 minutes earlier each day, giving yourself a few minutes of stress free time to yourself
- Instead of taking your phone out immediately, use this time to stretch and practise some breathing exercises
- Try to be mindful of the present moment, if you feel your mind is alerting you to all you have to do on that day, just come back to what you are at right now
- If you have a busy house in the morning, try to be the calm one in the room without reacting to the normal pressure of rushing out the door
- If travelling with children in the car, use this opportunity to observe your surroundings, playing a game of eye spy or as I used to do, make up funny stories about the animals in the fields or wondering what the other people in the cars travelling beside you are talking about, it creates a sense of involvement and also promotes our children in using their imagination.
- Greet everyone you meet with a smile and ‘Good Morning’, it has been proven that people respond to morning greetings and it changes their perception on the day ahead, it also creates a feel good factor in you by acknowledging another person and seeing them respond to kindness.
- Do one thing at a time, focus on it and feel that sense of achievement once you have it completed.
- Take some time out from your busy day and spend it in nature, using this opportunity to get much needed fresh air and a few deep breaths.
- During your evenings, try and change one thing about your normal routine.
- Go to bed when you are tired, again practise being aware of your breathing and feeling grateful for the small changes you have created that day.
Every change begins with a thought to do so. If you feel you need or want a change in your life, write down five things that you would like to change and how you can create one simple change that will help you live a more stress free life. There is always a solution, but instead of talking about the problem all the time, now you can re-focus your mind into creating those positive changes one step at a time. It all starts with choosing to do so.
Affirm “I can accomplish anything I choose”
Sharon Fitzmaurice
Holistic Wellness Coach & Author based in Co. Galway
Helping others to help themselves – sharonfitzmauricemindfulness.com