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The pace of life is constantly accelerating. How are we doing? We are looking for ways to be even more efficient, to do even more, to do several things at the same time, trying to balance between work, family and hobbies. What if you try to do the opposite? Simple techniques to help you relax and become happier.
If you’re a time cruncher, you’re probably familiar with the tricks to improve your efficiency. You can, for example, listen to a useful podcast on your way to work or while preparing dinner. Between times, put a couple of likes on your friends, as well as answer a few work emails to prevent the mailbox from overflowing.
Does it get any easier? Yes, sometimes we are really proud of ourselves that we managed to do more than we planned. But, living in such a rhythm all the time, we drive ourselves into a dead end. The world is getting faster every day, and we need to meet even more stringent requirements for ourselves. Any unplanned task can throw you off balance. Instead of trying to do more, you can change your strategy and try to build your life differently. A few tips will help with this.
Choose single-tasking over multi-tasking
We are used to streamlining our day and multitasking to save time and get everything done. Brooke McElrie in «The best things are simple. Everyday ideas for a more relaxed and measured life ”recommends, on the contrary, at least sometimes give up multitasking and devote time to one thing.
McKelrie suggests picking one daily duty or task and turning it into a ritual without being distracted by anything else while doing it. For example, watch the water bubbles while the water is boiling in the kettle. When pouring boiling water over the tea leaves, see how the tea leaves unfold, how the water gradually changes color. Take your time to take the first sip to notice the steam rising from the mug, writes the author of the book.
Any activity can be turned into a ritual, even washing dishes or hanging clothes after washing. “Instead of planning dinner, thinking about tomorrow’s meeting, or thinking about what to do with the kids after a nap, focus on the smell of freshly laundered clothes, the coolness of a wet cloth in your hands, the glare of the sun on the hanging linen,” recommends McElrie.
Of course, it will not work to completely abandon multitasking, and this is not necessary. But by allowing ourselves at least a few minutes a day to do only one thing, we get used to seeing beauty in ordinary things, McElrie writes.
Treat yourself to a digital detox
Many people remember the phrase of parents «Do not sit at the computer for a long time.» Now it will cause rather a smirk or just nostalgia. We spend the whole day behind it, and when we move away from it, we do not let go of the smartphone. What do you do when you are waiting for a friend who is late? Most likely, the hand habitually reaches for the phone, opens social networks and scrolls through the news feed.
It makes no sense to give up technology: we are used to making purchases with one touch or checking the weather for tomorrow in the application — this makes life easier.
But what if you set aside 15 minutes that you will spend daily without gadgets? “Disconnecting from the virtual world allows you to reconnect with the real world — your children, partner, family, friends, work, environment,” McElrie writes and recommends practicing a digital detox regularly. Agree, 15 minutes a day is not so much.
Give up balance
We want to be in time for everything, to be the best employee at work, and at home — an ideal wife, mother and housewife. McElrie believes that no matter how hard we try to do everything and everywhere, achieving balance is nothing more than a myth that “encourages us to achieve the impossible.” She recommends «deliberately deviating from balance and, most importantly, being okay with it.»
For example, you shouldn’t waste your last energy after a day’s work to cook dinner: order a ready-made meal or cook something very simple. The author calls it maneuvering. Instead of striving for the perfect balance, try consciously giving up some of the tasks.
Bring inner comfort
What do you associate comfort with? Perhaps with delicious food cooked at home, with a warm blanket, with the soft light of a table lamp. Isabelle Gillies dedicated the book “Cozy. The art of always and everywhere to feel comfortable” theme of comfort. But this book is not about how best to arrange the furniture or what curtains to choose for the bedroom.
In it, Gillis writes how important it is to feel comfortable, no matter how external circumstances develop. How to do it? First you need to look inside yourself: what inspires you, causes pleasure, makes you happy.
Gillis gives an example: as a child, she and her parents often walked along the river bank, and together they looked at the fallen leaves, determining by their shape which tree they belong to. Now, picking up a leaf while walking, she feels comfortable as her thoughts return to that time.
Look around, listen to the sounds, smell the smells, touch the surrounding objects, feel their shape and texture. Sometimes you can experience a sense of comfort from the most unexpected things. For example, even the sound of a running washing machine can seem cozy if it makes you remember something good, return to a time when you often felt cozy, the author writes.
Keep in mind that “this is not about a tangible object – rather, about a simple way to carry around with us what we most need to achieve inner harmony,” writes Gillis. When we find something that gives a sense of support and peace, it will become easier for us to feel confident even in difficult and adverse situations.
Following these tips will not slow down the whole world, but it will allow you to choose a comfortable pace for your own life.