Living in Los Angeles, I can say that I know a thing or two about stress. Just simply arrivng to this area makes me feel as though I need to get up and go. I’m not sure where I’m going or what I’m going to do, but I “know” I need to move. It’s not just L.A. though. With digital media, high production tools, and everything at our fingertips (can we say “Amazon Prime”??) we have become a “microwave culture” looking to get things done quicker and more efficiently at every turn. The truth is, it’s possible to have everything done instantly. Except for our health and well-being. This takes time. Drat! If Amazon can deliver a package in the same day, why can’t my body sync up with the time we live in? While that might sound a little extreme, it’s actually true! This instant culture makes it hard to wind down. It’s not even something that happens consciously.
Being Intentional
When I realized how much this speed affects us, I had to make an intentional focus on making sure that I became a revolutionary in this area. It probably sounds pretty silly to say that that is being revolutionary, but it is. It takes hard work to slow down and intentionally go about your life. That simple act of being intentional actually takes the subconscious underlying need for speed and puts it out in front of you. Even if you’re at a slow period of time in your life, being intentional can majorly shift how you approach things. It can mean the difference between getting things done for the sake of a checkoff list, or building something fruitful, enjoyable, and purposeful.
I’m definitely no expert in this area, and have a lot to learn, but I’ve spent the last 7 years or so trying to dig deeper and discover what it means to live intentionally and not get wrapped up in the whirlwind that life can throw at us sometimes.
How do you shift your attention to being intentional? Well, this is truly a much longer topic than a short blog, but I’m all about making things easy, so I’d like to share some simple ways that I use intentionality to destress my day.
The first way, is through journaling out what I plan to focus on for the week and each day. While I used to just roll out of bed, grab my coffee and breakfast and go, now I sit still and go through a gentle routine of inspirational reading, prayer, and focused journaling. I do a few more things too and vary it up, but for the sake of this writing, the important part is that it’s intentional.
I also take a moment during one day of the week to look at my full week. I ask myself questions like:
Are there areas that I want to focus on this week?
How did I do with the areas that I wanted to focus on last week? How can I improve?
I’m purposefully leaving these areas of focus blank. You might be focusing on a work project and you might be focusing on integrating more rest, play, or creativity into your life.
Secondly, I try to make time for stillness every day.
Incorporating Stillness—Easy Steps
There’s an amazing system set up inside our bodies to automatically heal when we are at rest. They say that some of our best healing comes at night while we sleep. Athletes are well aware of this and make sure they get plenty of rest so that their bodies continually heal from the physical demands they place on them.
Other than sleep, stillness is a powerful weapon to help our bodies heal, strengthen, and focus. In this busy culture, stillness helps our mind, emotions, and bodies to operate at rest. Even 5 minutes of intentional stillness can affect your entire day. This act of stillness can actually help to combat the ‘fight or flight’ response that occurs when our bodies are under stress.
One of my favorite phrases, The Relaxation Response, was coined by Dr. Herbert Benson in the 1960’s and 1970’s. In his studies,
So, this week, instead of grabbing that extra cup of coffee, join me in “taking 5” minutes of stillness. Breathe in. Breathe out. Take a deep breath and just be still. Let all the worries, the hustle and bustle, and the fast-paced movements just fall right off of you.
Let’s do it together:
- Find a quiet place. (It might have to be your car if you’re out and about).
- Close your eyes. Relax.
- Take a deep breath and let all your muscles unwind.
- Let all your thoughts be put on a shelf. It’s just for this moment. You’ll be back to them in a short bit in a much stronger, focused way.
- Breathe in through your nose. Let your breath go as deep into your belly as possible.
- Hold it for a second or two and release out of your mouth.
- Continue breathing like this for anywhere from 1-20 minutes. If you’re worried you’ll lose track of time, set a gentle timer.
I like to try for at least 5 minutes, once or twice a day, but even 1 minute mid-day can be an incredible boost of energy!
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Kirsten Larsen is a wholeness coach, helping people experience freedom and breakthrough in body, soul, and spirit.
