Have you ever taken the time out to truly unplug? Perhaps it was forced upon you when there was no mobile phone service or the power went out. Or maybe you consciously chose to let go of the screens, plans, worries and regrets and simply chilled out in the moment you were in.
What do you remember from that time? I recall feeling free, calm, in-tune and energised. Not to mention the days seemed to go forever without ever once dragging… It was empowering, exciting and I felt like my 3 day mini-break was a month long adventure.
It can feel really challenging to actively maintain this space within our full and busy lives. Between work, family, social and personal commitments, consciously slowing down can feel like a struggle. However, along the way I have come across some little tips on how to learn to chill out.
1. Allow sunshine and breath to be what we wakeup to each morning
So often the first thing we do is grab our smart device and flick through emails, texts, social media etc. perhaps even before we have sat up and stretched. Simply give yourself 5 minutes each day to breathe with the sun on your face. Try it out for 7 days and notice the changes you experience in all aspects of your life.
2. Keep our phone for what it was originally designed for: calls and texts (ok, I’m not a dinosaur, emails too…)
Remove the social media apps from your phone, disconnect any push notifications and bask in the gloriousness of the free time you receive! It is unbelievable how much my life changed doing FebFast one year where I chose to give up social media. Simply taking the apps off my phone allowed me to be truly with my friends, truly with my family and truly with myself.
3. Give ourselves permission to look around at our surroundings when we walk
Eye contact and spontaneous passing engagement sadly seems to be a thing of the past. I encourage you to lift your eyes away from the side walk and look at the people passing you, the architecture you are passing (specially if you are in the CBD! Check out the top half of the buildings that have been there for years, it is incredible!) and how the sun streams through the leaves of the trees. Leaving 5 minutes early and slowing down the walk will open your mind to new opportunities, insights and potentially dates…
4. End the day the way you started: allow your breath to to guide you into sleep
5 minutes of conscious breathing prior to going to bed will reduce anxiety, increase oxygen to the brain and give your body permission to let go of physical tension. Your sleep will improve and with that, everything else will improve.
A client once said it brilliantly. “If you have one foot in the past and the other foot in the future, you end up s#%tting on the present”.
What more can I say?
About the Author
Tara Hurster is a registered psychologist who has assisted clients in behaviour modification, mood management and addiction treatment. She works to build her client’s confidence and self-esteem by teaching simple tools and strategies that creates lasting change.
