Count how many hours in a day you are awake. Of those hours, how much time do you devote to others that need you – your job, other people, places to go or even something inanimate as your mobile device? Some of them could be quite demanding. Think how many push notification or text messages you receive from your cell phone that could literally interrupt whatever it is you are doing. Are you at the beckoning call of all these things for 50% of your day? 70%? 80%? 100?
Unless your day is fully engaged in altruistic activities and your response to the above question is 75% or higher, welcome to the world of fast living. Fast is good because it helps create a vibrant economy of productive people like you.
Fast is not so good if it comes at the expense of people’s health, where persistent stress can compromise people’s well-being. When everything moves fast, time and silence have truly become the most luxurious things we can enjoy.
Time is precious. We need time to reflect, time to relax and renew, time to re-balance our energy, time to be with the people we care about, and time to enjoy the things we love. Time is finite and could cease at any moment, with very little notice.
Time is finite and could cease at any moment, with very little notice.
Silence is glorious. Think of the last time you had a quiet walk in nature. You only hear the soft whisper of the wind, the gentle rustling of the tree leaves, the birds chirping, or the stream flowing with the natural rhythm of water. Hmmm!
Although a nice, long vacation would be wonderful, think of how you can inject luxuries in your life, everyday! Here are 3 simple ways:
Cultivate silence. Oftentimes what is noisy is not our surroundings, but what is up in our heads. We replay past events like a broken record or worry about things that have not even happened yet. Start your day by clearing up your mind. A simple 5 minute mindful awareness session makes a big difference.
Find time to take care of yourself every day. No, it is not unselfish. It is recognizing the fact that if you take care of yourself, then you give your best in taking care of others. Exercise and yoga are a good place to start.
Let go. Never let stress outrun your personal efforts to create well-being.
If you take care of yourself, then you give your best in taking care of others.
Start cultivating daily ways to enjoy the most luxurious things of a fast life: Time and Silence.
Any tips that have worked for you?