Energy Management
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 12:49PM We all have a deep well of energy we can tap into but this can be hard believe sometimes. It's hard for me to believe it right around 4pm. Other people I talk with it's when they get home from work. As I type this, I'm remembering how my children were so melodramic at this time of day. So now imagine your life as you hit this low energy time of day. Feel that feeling of slow motion, slogging through the thickness. Ugh, what happened to that optimist that jumped out of bed this morning?
***Let's stop here for a moment while I bring in some honesty. I have never been the optimist that jumps out of bed in the morning. I have the kind of brain that needs constant optimism training, constant vigilant watching and releasing of bullshit thoughts!
Back to your energy levels.... What happened to that morning energy? 4 o'clock is what happened. And you don't like that 4 o'clock feeling. When we don't like feelings or icky thinking patterns we set out to mindlessly get rid of them with: cookies, crackers, wine, beer, smoking, eating past full, procrastination, picking fights, gossiping, watching TV, surfing for porn, getting sucked into Facebook, playing video games.
SO I suggest you think about adding this to your lifestyle. Notice the feeling. Find it in your body. Without labeling it, breathe in 10 slow breaths to that place in your body. If there's more than one place, give yourself that luxury of breath to every spot that needs it.
At this very moment, I'm noticing the feeling. Without labeling, I find it in my neck and shoulders. I breathe in 10 slow breaths. I can leave my fingers on the keyboard and count the 10 breaths. That took me about 2 minutes and I really do feel more energy, calmer, more excited to be writing this. As I was breathing I asked for a word to repeat over and over. The word was "stronger" so I just rhythmically repeated "stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger" as I breathed slowly.
I close my eyes when I do this but if you're at work and don't want to look like a slacker (which of course you're absolutely not! Let me talk to your boss about how you're actually increasing your productivity and creativity) find an object on your desk to stare at while you breathe. Give that object some magical powers for you. Breathe and absorb that magic. I suggest a tiny unicorn:) for your magical object! My magical object is a tiara.
Reader Comments (2)
Jamie! Terrific article and lovely, useful suggestions. I believe people are benefited by describing our own hurdles when attempting to find balance during the day. Thanks for letting me know that even with training, some of us just never entirely get over the need for practice, practice, practice!
Angie
Thanks Angie for your comment. I'm never quite sure how much I should go into my own hurdles!!!