I am always taken aback by just how much most of us – particularly in the western world – seem to be living for tomorrow rather than today.
It is almost as though we have written-off today and that tomorrow will always be better. Now I am not saying that tomorrow won’t be better or that thinking positively is a bad thing, but if we just took time to appreciate what we have today then tomorrow will take care of itself.
I have as short saying/ poem on my office wall which states:
Yesterday is HISTORY
Tomorrow is a MYSTERY
Today is a GIFT
That’s why we call it The PRESENT
It acts as a constant reminder to me not to forget all the good things I have in my life right now, right this minute and to be truly grateful for all of them.
So remembering to live in the here and now is always a good thing, but what else might you consider doing to bring a sense of CALM into your day?
I have a number of tools that I use for getting me to tune into myself and refocus on what I am doing.
1 – Deep Breathing, also know as the “Haa” Breathing technique
Take a long slow deep breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, hold it for 2 seconds and then release it by breathing out through your mouth and making a “Haa” sound. Repeat this 3 times.
This not only gets you to focus on just one thing (your breathing) but gives more oxygen to the body and the brain. The result is that you feel instantly calmer and more focussed and less anxious than you did before.
You can repeat this as and when you need to throughout the day and no-one will really know that you are doing anything except they will find a calmer more centred you.
2 – Visualisation
The brain cannot differentiate between a real or an imagined event. Therefore using the power of visualisation means that you can take your mind on a short “vacation” of 2 or 3 minutes to a time or place where you felt really calm and relaxed.
All the good feelings you had when you were in that moment in time will come flooding back to you and you will regain an instant calmness about you.
I know that some of you are thinking that you are not very visual, but I would challenge you to close your eyes and think of your front door, really picture it in your minds eye – the colour, what it is made of, the shape/colour of any glass it may have, where the handle is situated, where the letterbox is situated etc. I am sure you have a very clear picture of your front door right now – that is visualisation and we are all much better at it than we think we are.
3 – Meditation
This needn’t be a long meditation; it can be only a few minutes in duration but will be totally transformational.
Take yourself off to somewhere you know won’t be disturbed for 5 minutes, or just somewhere where sitting with your eyes closed won’t seem untoward.
When you have closed your eyes, take 3 deep breaths – in and out through the nose or using the Haa technique. When you are in a calm place in your mind, empty your mind of all your thoughts and imagine a white light radiating around you. This is your safety blanket. Keep yourself in this safe, calm and relaxed place for a few minutes.
When you are ready take 3 more deep breaths and open your eyes. The process of emptying your mind of all those busy thoughts just for a few minutes is extremely calming and uplifting.
4 – Journaling
I am a strong advocate of journaling wherever I am. I always have a small notebook so that I can dump my brain onto paper and thus release any tension or negative feelings that I might be having.
I can be found journaling on the bus, on the train, but particularly just before I go to bed. I find that by “parking” all of those thoughts until morning allows me to get a better night’s sleep.
You can use any piece or paper or notebook you have to hand, but to make it more emphatic and more meaningful you could buy a special notebook just for your journal entries.
I hope that you find some or all of the calming techniques that I use helpful to you and even if you are a bit sceptical about them, give them a go and see what happens.
Maureen
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