Day 98/100
At a time when we get virtually everything we want, when we want, some things are still elusive. One among them is rest to the body and mind. We are so busy in living this extremely artificial life filled with wants and desires, ambitions and acquisitions, we often tend to ignore that this body needs some rest. Though many people have started speaking about this, alas! many of us hardly follow it. Staying away from gadgets for a stipulated time and giving the mind rest and sleep is something we must follow if we love ourselves even a little bit.
Why is it so important to keep working at all times? Because we feel that there is constant competition and if we don’t get ahead, someone else will. And in that constant urge to excel and to beat everyone else, who’s suffering-- us again. So why not show some love to our self and tell the mind that it’s ok to relax, pause and let go. And how can we do that?
- Take power naps for at least 10 minutes every day, sometime around mid-day.
- If power naps seem completely un-doable, then at least 10 minutes break from everything that needs attention at that moment.
- Close your eyes and listen to any kind of music that soothes and relaxes.
- While on the break, don’t plan for post-break time mentally. Shut down from within completely.
- Don’t attend to any calls during the break. Enable 'Do not disturb' mode on your phones and other gadgets.
- Take a walk if possible. But alone, not with anyone. Don’t think about anything, simply enjoy the surroundings.
- If you are at home with a pet, you could cuddle up with the pet — a very good stress-buster!
- Though some people recommend watching something on the TV or phone, I suggest complete distancing from gadgets. They never make you stop thinking. Of course, they can distract but our purpose is to shut down the thinking process for some time.
- Doing Yoga/meditation during this time is a good option.
It’s true that we cannot follow all of the above techniques, but if we can follow even one and get that rest every day, the mind can be made more alert and adaptive. Constant working is not a great asset…understanding our body and when it needs rest is equally important. The sooner we realise this, the longer and healthier we can be.
When are you beginning your love story with yourself?
