Sit Still

Gosh, life is busy. It seems that everyone is rushing to do something, be someplace or get caught up. The real danger in rushing is that one can get so busy that life will pass by. It pays to slow down and enjoy life. Take in the simple pleasures and enjoy the moment. I have observed that, with all this rushing, people still feel that they are missing out on something. They are, their lives. Slow down, sit still and enjoy life in the slow lane every once in a while.

It seems amazing to me that we have all these conveniences, but there still seems to be too much to do. I believe the reason for this lack of time feeling is that there is way too much to do. Historically, our ancestors had about one quarter of the tasks to accomplish in a day than we currently have. Although we have machines to do many of the manual tasks, we have successfully accomplished piling up the human tasks. The expectation of doing more with less has become the norm. There really is too much to do. When my clients ask me when they can expect to get everything done, I give them the realistic answer, “Never.” There just is too much to do and it will never all be done.

Instead of rushing around trying to get the impossible accomplished, which is the illusion of getting everything done, take time out to sit still. Although this may sound counterproductive, it actually will help you accomplish what you need to do without stressing you out and making you sick. Studies show that people who take just a few minutes a day to sit still and do nothing (some call this meditating while others call it vegging out) will gain focus and stamina and reduce stress. It is a myth to think that you can do everything and do it all well. You can’t. You need to take time out, relax and regroup.

Once or twice during the day, just sit still. I have developed a habit of doing this first thing in the morning and then again around 3:00 p.m. I stop whatever I am doing, and sit with my eyes closed and relax. I don’t think of anything special. In fact, I try not to think at all. I sit still for only about 15 minutes, and then I get back to my day. I have found that taking this quick break has helped me stay focused, centered and able to deal with the rush life brings.