Anyone who has ever met me would not be surprised to hear that I have trouble slowing down and just being in the moment. I am very productive, I’m often doing something. I pride myself on how much I’m able to get done! There have even been times when I would consider myself a super mom! I mean I went to graduate school and raised three kids! I worked three jobs for a while! It was not uncommon for people to ask me, “how do you DO that?” I would often respond with, “it’s what I have to do right now,” or “it’s to build my business.” Honest and noble responses I thought.
While those are honest and valid answers, I’m coming to understand maybe they’re not the whole truth. Now that things have settled down I’m only working one job, and one mini super part time job on the side. I have more time at home with my family and I’m no longer working weekends. But you know what? I still struggle with slowing down. When I sit on the couch to watch TV I either play on my phone or do cross stitching. When I’m waiting in line I’m often on my phone or reading emails. Even if I’m sitting in the car waiting on one of the kids I’m reading or playing a game.
What really brought it home to me though was getting my second COVID-19 vaccination. I took the day after off since I did not know how I would react. (Thankfully the worst of it was some soreness, brain fog and a headache.) I was sitting at my computer thinking how nice it would be to just lie down and get warm and rest. But I figured since I have some extra time I should catch up on paperwork or do something productive with my time. Even though I’d taken the day off to rest I felt the need to be doing something. That’s when it occurred to me….maybe I’m addicted to doing!
In my private practice I teach about mindfulness and enjoying the moment. I talk about the power and need for rest. I even make sure that I take time in my busy life for rest. And I guess by rest I mean watching TV and playing on my phone at the same time. Oh…wait. Maybe I’m not actually practicing what I preach. That was an eye opening moment for me! If doing is a struggle for me, then maybe I should spend some time focusing on just being.
Being present.
Being calm.
Being here.
The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.
Abraham Maslow
It is absolutely important to me to maintain my mental health and grow in wellness. In my line of work one could argue that being well and healthy is one of the most important assets that I have. I am going to challenge myself to slow down more often. And more importantly I’m going to make an effort to listen to my body and give it what it needs. Right now I’m going to get off of my computer and go lay down to watch a video and take time to simply…
