You get up and think, “Ugh – I’ve got to get going, so much to do” with a sinking feeling in your chest.
So you get up and go through the motions. Thoughts are racing to the future of all that needs to get done.
That tightness in your chest…you got a break from it when you were sleeping…but it’s back again now that you’re up.
You make coffee. You know it helps the nerves and “wakes you up in the morning.”
Perhaps you’ve checked email by now and even sent a few texts.
Oh, the paper. Got to read the paper. Let’s see – what’s knew? Politics and murders. But is it new?
Your mind begins racing again – got to get going. The tightness in your chest gets stuffed down for now as you get ready for work, or get the kids ready for school, or both.
Off you go. Maybe you like your job, maybe you don’t. You daydream at work, “What am I going to do this weekend?” “Is it lunch time yet?”…
Your mind races into the future – stuff to do…
Back to now.
Let’s get down to business. Every day you have an opportunity to create a day that feels peaceful, happy, and purposeful.
It starts with healthy habits. Nothing extraordinary – It doesn’t have to be GOD or anyone else descending down and saying, “Here’s your purpose, now go do it.”
And it doesn’t have to do with getting those things you think you need to be happy. It lies in nothing outside of yourself or in the future.
Here’s what I’ve found to make my day peaceful, happy and purposeful (I no longer start my day like what you just read!). It starts when you open your eyes in the morning.
- Say to yourself “How lucky I am to have another day on the planet.”
- Get up, go pee, and then sit for 5-10 min. bringing your attention to your breath when you notice your wondering in thought. Repeat as needed.
- When finished with above, write down 5 things you’re grateful for.
- Sit down to eat breakfast, and yes, you can drink your coffee too. Leave multi-tasking out of it.
- Unsubscribe from the newspaper. Most papers have headlines to grab your attention, and what will always grab your attention is something that feeds your fight or flight response – fear. It fills you with fear every morning. Read your favorite magazine instead. Stay informed through the internet in reading about what matters to you.
- Practice being present with what you are doing – whether at home or at work. Living in the future in your mind is living in the future. Happiness can only be found in the present.
- Have technology turned off for the first 30 min. of your day and the last 30 min. of your day. It takes you away from your center. Trouble sleeping? This is a big one.
- Hug at least one person daily.
- Take care of what takes care of you. Clean your car, repair your shoes, put “thanks” on the check to the mortgage company.
- Take a deep breath into the tightness in your chest. Repeat as many times as needed. Say to yourself, “It’s o.k., life is o.k. right now.”
Pick one, and start that today. Practice. Do it again tomorrow. Breathe. Practice. It takes patience, practice, and determination. Just like learning anything worthwhile in life. You can do it!
Categories: Health & Happiness