Improve The Day a Moment at a Time
Small adjustments relieve big strain from the daily schedule
Identifying Stressors
She found it a couple of weeks later in the pocket of her slacks, folded neatly in the chest of drawers. She always kept her card in her wallet–except that day. The ‘problem’ of a lost card was non-existent, yet she had experienced all the feelings and worries as if the worst had happened.
Being upset had not helped. Could she have done what was needed – report the card missing and search for it – without distress?
Meditation and Small Joys Nurture the Soul
Most daily situations don’t arouse the emotions as strongly as the example above but even when ordinary activities are going well, it is possible to feel overwhelmed by the constant stimulation of modern life with no natural rhythm for experiencing the benefits of calm. Many people who live the overly scheduled life report fear or agitation when faced with space in their schedule or remoteness from TV and music. Meditators, on the other hand, report that their day goes more smoothly when they have sat quietly for even as little as ten minutes.
TV viewers who complain about being as tired as they were before collapsing in front of the television are beginning to search new pleasures, something with a tangible sense of fulfillment. There is wide leeway; people are different.
One man volunteers once a week decorating cakes for the monks’ business at an abbey. When his workday is done, he joins the monks in contemplation and takes a walk on their farm. A woman listens to recorded books while she drives to work. “I used to spend the entire ride worrying about the tasks ahead of me. I tried everything– music, prayer, silence. Something about driving made me fret about work. It didn’t happen during any other activity. The best thing about listening to books is that it removed an hour and a half of anxiety from my life every day!”
Laughter, Hugs, Thoughtfulness, and Beauty
Get out the gardening tools, the swim suit, the local community center’s catalog of unfamiliar classes (twig furniture building, pottery, fiction writing, how to extract the messages from dreams), or take a look at Rob Brezsny’s website with an adaptation from his new book. PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.
If a kindhearted video clip is more appealing, try Free Hugs.
Stalwart advocacy can be an inspiration, too, especially if it’s in an ECO_92 speech given by Severn Suzuki, a 13-year-old representing ECO, the Environmental Children’s Organization. “I am only a child…” she repeats as she speaks of the problems of our endangered planet. “If you don’t know how to fix it, stop breaking it,” she proclaims.
More ideas for adding a moment of pleasure include:
Say, No, if you habitually say yes, say no and use that time for something you’ve longed for—a conversation with your child, a leisurely bath, a phone call to great aunt Marge.
Eat that meal you were going to skip because you’re too busy.
Explore that intriguing little park with the fountain that you pass on the way to the grocery.
Discovering something new to enjoy in life may be as nourishing as a great meal.
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