Tips to Serenity

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Sunday , my day off from work, a day to relax and recharge my batteries, but of course it is also the day when I do all my housework for the week - laundry, cooking, cleaning - you get the gist. The reason I get more frazzled on my day off is because my heart's desire to relax is in conflict with my brain’s “to do list". On a nice sunny day, I would rather sit out and soak in some sunshine than clean the bathroom.

Of course I do have my cup of tea and relax and if time permits watch a favorite show on T.V. too. I do all this, yet, it never seems enough. In today's world, where multi-tasking is the order of the day, even when you sit down and have your cup of tea, your mind is elsewhere. Have you noticed how rare it is that we physically do only one task at a time? If you are like me, I fold my clothes while watching T.V, cook while talking to kids , listen to music while driving, talk on phone while walking – the list is endless. In spite of all the gadgets and appliances to make living easier, time is still at premium. Sometimes, I do wonder, aren’t we just rushing through our life to our death? Isn’t there a way where we can improve the quality of our life? I remember it just like yesterday, when I wanted to be 16 and then 21 and here I am now in 40s.

Here are some of the tips I feel helps me calm down:


Mindfulness: Be present “now”, focusing 100% on whatever you are doing. For instance, spare 10 minutes everyday to just enjoy your cup of tea or coffee. When you are drinking your tea/coffee, be aware of every nuance of it. Drink it as if it’s your last cup on the earth. You can extend this to any activity you enjoy – give it your 100%.

Solitude: I am basically a person who loves to be with people. But recently, due to the nature of my job, there are at times hours when I am all by myself. Initially, it perturbed me , but over a period of time, I have learnt to appreciate my time alone with myself for this is the time when I can contemplate and just be “me”. Practice this with short periods of time –and you will learn to understand why it is so important.

Meditation: This is taking mindfulness to the next level. I always thought that meditation was sitting in one place, cross-legged, eyes closed and thinking about God. Never could do it. For me meditation is just watching sunset – or maybe watching the leaves fall or the water flowing down the river. I am not sure there is any term for this “nature meditation “, it sure does help.

Breathe: Like the song says “Just Breathe”. Everyday when things seem to be overwhelming – do just that –focus on your breathing. Couple of deep breaths through the day should help.

Playing a musical instrument, knitting, sewing , repairing a machine, writing, – any activity that you love doing and which requires your full attention helps.Click Here!