One of the things I get asked a lot is how I manage to keep all of my balls in the air without losing my composure and also managing to be happy and content most of the time. I know it certainly is hard to keep stress low when you have a lot on your plate but it is possible to be busy without it turning into stress, anxiety and exhaustion.
I learnt early on that I needed to create balance if I was going to make my life work as I have big goals and lots on. I have 2 kids, I study part time at uni getting my Psych degree, I work part time in a busy practice, I have a house to look after (sometimes!), a husband, meals to cook, books to read, meditations to do, blogs to write, exercise to do. Phew it can be tiring just reading it!
One of the keys to staying calm even when you are busy is loving what you do. If you hate your job it is very hard to be excited about doing it and even harder to get yourself out of bed and feel motivated in getting things done. Often when you don’t like your job everything else gets harder also as a lot of energy is being drained at work and your mood is low.
What I’ve found is that what you do every day needs to be connected to goals that you have for yourself and in that way you can find it easy to stay motivated each day. For example some days I dislike my study or find my textbook very dry, but as I have a goal to one day complete the study and I know how great it will feel to do that, then it helps me to stay motivated and push through that dull textbook.
It also reminds me of something Eckhart Tolle said about us being two steps ahead all the time. When we are thirsty instead of really savouring that water and being conscious of the moment we already wish it was in our stomach. Whereas we do have the choice to pick up the glass and feel the smooth texture and then place it to our lips and feel the coolness of the glass there before pouring the water into our mouths and enjoying it satisfying out thirst. See the difference?
If you can apply this principle to everything you do then you can start enjoying every moment of life even if you are making lunches, hanging out washing or doing a boring report.
Another important aspect of being busy is also making time to just be either through exercise, meditation, relaxing on the couch, reading a book or just watching the world go by over a café latte. In the moments we allow ourselves to be we regain our balance and renew our energies allowing our system to recharge. Next time you need a break try walking in the park and just look at everything. Touch the leaves and the trees and notice everything and see how you feel after doing that for 5 minutes.
Some people avoid being as they realize how tired they are! This happens a lot as they are so busy doing every day that when they do stop they hit the wall and realize they are exhausted or illness strikes them down and they are forced to rest.
The more you have on in your life, the more effort you have to make to look after yourself. You have to watch your being versus doing and make sure if you have a busy day you allow some period of time to recharge (and collapsing on the couch that night does not count!). You need to make sure you are eating healthy food and exercising 3 or more times a week. You have to make sure you are grounded and your energy is in your body (not your head) and you have to make sure that you feel connected to the tasks you are doing and things around you.
When you live this way you can really achieve a lot and also enjoy doing it.
