Earlier this week I had a conversation with a girlfriend who said she’s felt since the New Year that she hasn’t gotten a chance to just be.
I couldn’t agree more. It seems as soon as the clock struck January 1st, I’ve been running at a strong, steady pace with no slowing down.
But even though I feel like I’m running at full speed, it feels more like runner’s high than sucking wind. I told my girlfriend,
“This is what happens when you’ve manifested so many amazing things for yourself.”
She agreed. Over the last 12 months, I’ve set personal and professional goals for myself. I told myself I would commit to a regular cardio-based exercise routine, that I would commit to helping the agents in my firm grow their businesses, and that I would expand this very blog to include The Balance Feature podcast.
Today, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. The agents I mentored last year all grew their businesses by at least 25% and The Balance Feature podcast debut’s on April 5th…..stay tuned for that. No one could be more excited than me about all the great things that have happened as a result of putting it out there and staying committed and focused.
My conversation with my GF, however, was a reminder that constant running, whether it’s positive or negative, is still stressful and that it’s important to slow down and just be.
Here are 4 ways you can slow down and just be…
Take a 15-minute walk. Shut the laptop, silence the phone, grab your dog and enjoy the fresh air with a walk. Nothing will relax and refresh your mind better than a 15-minute walk.
Sit in silence. Maybe it’s in your car or on your couch. Shut everything down and sit quietly in silence. Enjoy the sounds of your environment. Notice the sound of your breathing. Feel your chest expand and contract with each breath.
Connect with nature. Reconnecting with nature provides a very grounding effect. Sit on a beach and listen to the waves. If you can’t get to the beach, go outside and look up at the trees and sky or listen to the birds.
Be grateful. When you feel overwhelmed or distracted, stop and find one thing, maybe two that you feel grateful for. Gratitude has a way of removing a layer of stress and gives you that, “everything’s going to be ok” feeling.
What things do you do when life seems to be moving too fast? How do you slow down and be in the present?
Leave me a comment below. Of course, if you enjoyed this post, I’d love it if you shared it with your world.
Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash
Comments