Today, we live in a world with too much of "doing" and very little "being". We seem to always be in a rush, trying to get somewhere. Everything is reduced to a "task to be done". And left to ourselves, on autopilot, we live so terribly, that we actually need to be told, "to drink water", "breathe", and "move our bodies". And unless we put these on our to do lists, we are not getting them done. Relate ?
Not to say that there is anything wrong with this approach. But if we don't learn to add periods of ‘being’ amidst all the doing, then we run the risk of getting easily stressed, & maybe even suffer a burnout.
In this post, we will examine some telltale signs of “too much doing" & what you can do about it.
The Signs :
A. You are constantly thinking of the next thing to tick on your task list.
B. You find it difficult to relax or sit in silence when you have a long list of things to do.
C. You consider all activities that do not, in some way earn you money or recognition meaningless and to be done as quickly as possible so you can get on to do some real work.
D. There is too much of mental chatter even when you have finished your days work and are trying to relax.
E. You seek external stimulus like television or alcohol to relax or power down.
If you got a yes for more than 3 of these questions, then you probably have too much “doing” going on in your life. And will benefit by adding moments of “being”.
Ways to slow down & add presence:
The real world can be harsh. And if you believe in the perspective of "survival of the fittest", I understand, it might get increasingly difficult to slow down or relax.
However, working overtime or constantly pushing yourself isn't the solution either. As that reduces your efficiency. And you put yourself at a risk for stress related diseases and maybe even reduced mortality.
The solution is not to stop doing , but find ways to relax and add periods of presence and being into your day.
You will be surprised, and I am not making this up, when I have a big list of things to do, the first thing I do, is drop everything and sit in meditation. Nothing less than 20 minutes. At the end of it I feel a lot centered & focused. Sometimes I even get insights on how I can get stuff on the list done efficiently and have enough energy to do them. I have no idea how, but it works. Maybe that's why a daily meditation is a non negotiable practice for me.
However, if you have too much of ‘doing’ going on in your life, then you may find even sitting for 5 minutes, leave alone 20, challenging. I hear you.
Instead try the following:
A. Walking Meditation
Take a walk. For just a few minutes if not more. Inhale as you take 4 steps forward ( each step of the foot counted as one ) and exhale out for the next 4 steps. Continue this pattern, coordinating movement with breath. 4:4 should be a good place to start. If you feel it's too easy, you can make it 5:5 or 6:6. Just make sure you are at ease and not straining yourself. Walking this way for even 5 minutes can have a calming influence on your nervous system.
B. ‘Calm and ease’ breath focused meditation
You can do this anytime, anywhere. Just draw your awareness inward and connect with your breath. Now as you inhale mentally whisper to yourself "calm" and as you exhale, whisper to yourself, "ease". In place of calm & ease, you can choose to use words such as "let" & "go" or "peace" & "ease" or "joy" & "peace" or any other word that resonates with you and has a soothing effect on your mind. Words help you stay anchored to your breath.
Many of my students use this practice while driving, or when stuck in a traffic jam, or any other time that they feel triggered.
C. Sound Meditation
This is another practice, that can be done anytime, anywhere.
To practice : Just pause from whatever it is that you are doing & draw your awareness to sounds around you.
Notice how each sound appears and then disappears. Some sounds overlap. Some sounds are close, some far. Some loud and clear, some subtle and low. No need to label the sounds or judge them. Just allow them to arise and fade.
The best part about "Sound meditation" is its ability to make you open & receptive to all sounds, even those that are too loud. This can be a new experience as we are accustomed to shutting out noise and disturbance instead of just allowing them to touch us and pass.
D. Guided meditation
Today there are innumerable apps offering guided meditations. I used headspace & insight timer app a lot in my earlier days of practice. You can explore them.
Here is my own recording of a “loving kindness” meditation practice that I created for my students. I use it everyday & find it especially useful in current times of uncertainty and fear. Do give it a try. Ideally, use headphones to listen🙏
Background music from : Peaceful Forest - Into Oblivion by Darren Curtis Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/
E. A simple & quick Gratitude practice:
Gratitude helps generate feelings of well being. And can be a great practice to include into your day, to center, calm down and appreciate what's in your life.
To practice, just pause for a moment, and look around you. Choose one object and think of how it adds ease into your life. For example, you could look at your notebook or a pen. Reflect on how it serves you - it probably helps you put your thoughts down on paper, helps you express yourself etc. See what comes up. Let your mind and heart be filled with gratitude for that object. See how this practice makes you feel. And repeat it as often as possible, everytime choosing something new to be grateful for.
F. Taking a break from task lists :
Do this atleast one day of the week. Live spontaneously as per your desires and values.
G. Find something to marvel at, each day :
End of each day, ask yourself what was the most wonderful thing you witnessed ? Just the act of questioning & reflection, will awaken your consciousness to the beauty around you, which you may otherwise miss while chasing your goals or living a busy life.
I find that with "periods of being" added into my day, my doing becomes a lot more efficient.
The right balance is a worthy goal to seek so as to not just survive but thrive in the real world.
Did you resonate with my post ? Do you have periods of being added into your day? How does that impact your productivity? Do let me know in comments or drop me a mail. I would love to learn something from you 💕
I love 'be'ing Poornima! In fact I would say I'm blessed to be able to sort of retire into 'do'ing less. Don't know about how they impact my 'productivity' but, E & G particularly lift me ❤️😊