Stop, Breathe, Reset.
Time just sweeps us along. The older we get, the faster it goes and it's so easy to get washed under the waves of every day life. We find a routine that works for us and we follow it, but as the days go by we get pulled in different directions. Our families, our jobs, health, finances... It builds up over time and before we know it, our wonderful, well throught-through routine has completely changed and we feel like we've lost our way.
It's normal, it's natural and in a way it's a good thing. It forces us to stop and reassess where we are. This is where I find that escaping the normal daily routine really helps. Taking a walk in nature, attending a yoga class or even just sitting still in a quiet room can give us the time and space to look at where things have gone off track and how we can centre ourselves once again. Taking the time to stop and breathe is crucial, but if you don't make the conscious decision to do it, months or even years can go by. A giant fear of mine is waking up in 10 years and wondering where the time went. I reckon that will happen no matter what, but I want to at least be able to know that I lifted my head and looked around at where I was every once in a while.
How do you reset? Well it's not hard. Once you've stopped to take a look at what's happening in your life, write down how you want your day to look. Address the unnecessary actions that are taking up your valuable time, and think of things you'd like to do more of, but can't seem to find the time. Create a rough schedule, juggle things around and just start again. I understand that it can sometimes seem impossible to "make" time, but it really is. It's all about priorities. We always seem to find time for the things we deem to be important, like going to the doctor, taking the car in for a service etc. If there are areas in your life which are taking a back seat but you feel they really should be more important, they should be treated with that same respect. It is not impossible. Sometimes it means waking up earlier, or saying no to social engagements or even work, but the bottom line is that we NEED to take care of ourselves. We are not serving anyone by neglecting the fundamental elements of a healthy, happy life - and these are different things for differet people.
Some of the areas that I have chosen to make time for are health, family, fitness and personal development. If I'm honest, a year ago I gave these areas NO time at all! It's taken a while, but these areas of my life have become almost intrinsic - It isn't difficult for me to prioritise them anymore. Of course sometimes I can feel myself going off track... but I'm aware of it and I try to find a way to reign myself back in. Having accountability and support really helps!
The key is this: Establish what is important to you. What is going to make you happier? It's not a dream - we all deserve to live lives that make us happy. Not every day will be easy and we won't always succeed but at least we know we have the ability to STOP, BREATHE and RESET.
