by Erin Owen | Feb 1, 2016 | Ezine
When faced with exhaustion and overwhelm, there can be the sense that everything has to change. Your work, your relationships, your living situation, your weight, and on and on.
And yet that feels even more overwhelming. And so you shut down.
But what if you imagined the teeniest tiniest step you could take in a slightly different direction. And then break that step down into 3 even smaller steps, and what does that leave? Then take the first of those 3 smaller steps and break that small steps into 3 steps and so on.
Do this until the result is as small as one single step that a centipede might take, or one wing flap of a hummingbird, or one downward blink of your eyelid.
Start here, with the tiniest of steps. Take a breath. Complete it. Take another breath and decide: is that enough for now? Or, do I want to take the next teeniest tiniest step?
You choose.
Transforming your life can be overwhelming. But you don’t have to do it all at once. Start infinitesimally small. And breathe.
by Erin Owen | Nov 10, 2015 | Ezine
What do you commit to? What do you reject? My client Karen graciously allowed me to share with you her recent writings. I hope her words inspire you!
“I hereby reject “exhausting busyness” as way of life that is inescapable.
I commit to…
…learning all I can about how to break out of this habituated feeling of overwhelm. I will train myself how to enjoy my life more, and to move at a pace that is sustainable and measured and contributes to a sense of longevity, wellness and ease.
… time to bathe and clean and dress myself leisurely and to enjoy the process of dressing in clothing that looks and feels good and will be good to move around in all day.
… being aware of how many times a day I check my email, as well as how many times I try to multi-task with digital technology, like checking email while I am stopped at red lights or while I am at home in the evening. I will commit to staying with the sense of reactivity I experience when I receive an email, and the tendency I have to respond immediately. I will recognize that bio-chemically, I am wired for that rush of new information, and that my instant response gives me a sense of accomplishment and alleviates some anxiety to have “completed” the task. However, I will recognize that by allowing myself to be pulled away from the projects I am currently working on, I am splitting my energy and losing focus. I will remember that multi-tasking is an energy -suck, and results in poorer performance and higher levels of stress.
… reasonably long lunch breaks to eat, relax, engage in creative thought, connect with family and friends.
… some time before sleep to consciously get comfortable and ready for a deep, restful evening.
… listening to wise teachers’ talks and meditations as I am going to sleep so that my conscious and unconscious minds are taking in the positive reinforcement that they need.
… pursuing comedy and the dramatic arts – and continuing to explore how those passions could show up in my work and my expression of life.”
Guest blogger: Karen Meshkov, amazing human being, business owner, brand new mom (congrats, Karen and husband Matt!). Karen has been Erin’s client since January 2015. Check out her LinkedIn recommendation of Erin at the bottom of Erin’s LinkedIn profile.
by Erin Owen | Nov 5, 2013 | Ezine
If you feel at times that your life is spinning out of control and you have too much on your plate, then you absolutely need to read this. Or if you generally feel on top of your responsibilities, but crave more time for yourself and intimacy with loved ones, then you too will benefit from reading about the practice of mindfulness.
The more our lives increase in complexity, the more we need to mindfully practice mindfulness.
But, what the heck does that mean?
The Bottom Line
When you carve out time in your day to pause and breathe and quiet your mind, you earn back the following for yourself:
- Almost immediate reduction of your stress level, with a decrease in your heart rate and blood pressure and reduced production of cortisol levels. (Increased cortisol and blood pressure are linked with weight gain, heart disease, adrenal fatigue and other issues you don’t want!)
- Calming of that inner anxiety that makes you sweat, wakes you up at night, and causes tension in your muscles. (Wouldn’t it be nice to sleep soundly and move smoothly through your day without moments of sudden panic about your “to do” list?)
- Improved cognitive function and better decision-making, with a measurable thickening of brain tissue and acceleration in the firing of the brain. (Clear out the brain fog and boost your short term memory, with faster recall of the info you need now!)
- A boost to your joy, your creativity, and your level of patience with challenging situations and people. (No need to get huffy when someone doesn’t understand you! Slow down and connect and be present to see what unfolds in life!)
And much much more.
3 Simple Steps to Mindfulness
- Use a mindfulness app like Zazen to ping you throughout the day to remember to pause, breathe, and check in with yourself: how are you feeling? What do you need? Who can support you? What can you let go of? What are you grateful for?
- Check out how Whil can help you with focus, creativity, and breakthrough thinking, by joining this new 1-minute movement started by the founders of Lululemon. All you need is one minute!
- Commit to 5 minutes each day — either upon waking or before bed — to breathe and reflect and let go of your busy monkey mind. My experience is that for each 1 minute you practice quieting your mind, you regain 10 minutes of your life. With these 5 minutes each day, you’ll earn back more than 50 minutes a day, or roughly 304 hours a year of better productivity and a more enjoyable life. That’s 7 or 8 work weeks for most of us! But maybe you’ll use some of that time for vacation.
PLUS 4 FREE Resources
Read chapter 1 in my book Refuel Recharge and Reenergize for free by clicking here. Check out reader reviews of my book on Amazon.com.
Get a taste of the simplicity and mindfulness that weaves its way through my Boost Your Performance program. Click here to read and listen to free excerpts from this foundational training designed to create more space in your life by simplifying your daily routine, your calendar, your in box, and your living & working space.
Schedule a free 15-minute call with me to talk about how you can cultivate more mindfulness in your life!
And if you missed my last post with 8 Free Energy Boosting Tips for Thriving (instead of barely surviving), click here.
Here’s to YOU getting out of the overwhelm lane and into the happy groove of conscious working and living,
Erin
P.S. Check out this recent NY Times article on Mindfulness that might interest you.
