5 practices to re-establish your own rhythm
This is the time of year where I often feel in juxtaposition with the world around me.
The last few weeks have reminded me of just how not amazing it feels when I try to sync my pace to the world around me instead of going with my own flow.
So this past Sunday I recalibrated and re-established my own rhythm.
Just as the days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler and I have a desire to slow down, everything around me seems to be speeding up.
We enter several months of busy holiday seasons abound.
The Jewish calendar has the month of High Holidays that starts with Rosh Hashanah.
There is the Indian festival of the 5 days of Diwali.
The Christian calendar with the Christmas season, which extends longer and longer each year.
(Forgive me if I'm missing some holidays I'm unfamiliar with.)
And of course let’s not forget the American holiday of Thanksgiving!
In addition to the festivities, we also have added work pressure.
According to Brian P Moran, in the book The 12 Week Year, research shows that most businesses make their most profit in the last 12 weeks of the year because thats when the looming deadline of the end-of-year calendar suddenly feels close enough that it spurs employees into action on the goals they set at the beginning of the year and realize they need to take immediate action on if they want to achieve them.
Even though WFH has offered many people the potential for a greater work/life balance, studies show that "workers around the world put in an average of 9.2 hours of unpaid overtime each week in 2021, which was actually up from 7.3 hours in 2020."
If there was ever a time to feel like a hamster on a wheel, this is it.
But that's where we have to take responsibility for our roll in overwork.
In truth many of us can be obsessed with overwork because it often can feel exciting and be seen as a status symbol or step on our path to success.
Or it can serve as a welcome distraction from other things in our lives that we'd prefer to avoid.
In 2014, The New Yorker called this devotion to overwork a cult.
One we've turned into a culture.
One that extends beyond working adults, into our college-aged kids and even our children.
If we get too far out of balance, we can find that even the activities we do for rest or play that we usually find fun and nourishing, suddenly become burdens and just another task to complete so that we can move onto the next thing.
I learned long ago that while productivity and progress gives me a feeling of happiness and thriving, the only way for me to be sustainably productive, is to carve out time for spaciousness in my days.
Otherwise, instead of thriving, I feel burnt out and overwhelmed.
Burnout is defined as being at the point of exhaustion and then pushing yourself to keep going. Sometimes for hours, days, weeks or even years.
So in a world of burnout culture, how do we keep from getting caught up in the fray?
How do we stay connected to ourselves and ensure we’re spending the bulk of our time on activities that matter to us and bring us a level of contentment?
How do we make sure we’re not pushing our bodies and minds to an unhealthy place?
Choosing to move at a different pace and rhythm to the world around you can be challenging.
It takes commitment.
It takes practice.
And it takes starting over. Again. And again.
Here are 5 practices to help you re-establish your own rhythm when you’re feeling like you’re under pressure or moving at an unsustainable, feverish pace…
What do I need right now? Maybe you’re thirsty. Maybe you need to take a walk. Maybe you need to catch up on some personal things to feel more balanced. Figure out what you need. And then give yourself that thing.
Shake it off: Systematically shake one leg at a time, shake through your hips your torso your arms and then your whole body. There is nothing that can change up your energy faster than to physically move and shake it up.
Consider what is sacred: What are those things that really deserve your attention or are absolutely necessary at this moment. If you’re struggling to come up with an answer, pretend you’ve been told that you only have one hour to work or be social or spend on self-care, whatever area of your life you’re contemplating sacredness in, and ask yourself what would I choose to do with that one hour?
What’s the story?: When we’re overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks in front of us, we’re often telling ourselves a specific story about all of these things that makes us feel like we “need“ or “have to” accomplish all of them. So as you think about what is causing you to feel like you need to do this many things or move at this quickly of a pace, ask yourself “what am I telling myself about the situation?“ And then ask yourself, “what else is true?”
Focus on what’s easy: Stop to think about three things in your present day that are currently easy. Like having a fridge full of food that you can access simply by opening the door to nourish yourself. Or the heat that automatically flips on to keep you at a comfortable temperature.
I would love to hear your tips for re-establishing your own rhythm. Share them in the comments below.
