We keep ourselves so busy and distracted, and spend so much time thinking about things that have happened, or things that may happen in the future, that we are rarely living fully in the now.
We do a lot on autopilot. For example, how often have you driven from A to B, but on the way been thinking about any number of things, without really concentrating on the driving; your body just seems to take over and do it for you.
At work, in particular, we make ourselves busy, and even take pride in the fact that we don’t have a moment to stop. Working long hours, taking work home, and generally playing the busyness game reduces effectiveness at work, and creates serious heath risks. Then we relax by going to the gym, watching a movie, or drinking ourselves into torpor. We never really stop for a moment. This ‘Doing’mode.
In contrast we’ve probably all had experiences when time just seems to stand still. This happens particularly in nature, such as looking at a wonderful view of the sunset or thepanorama at the top of a mountain. We don’t try to analyse what’s happening, we just get absorbed in the experience.
Or sometimes, we simply take a break from the busyness, and all the thinking, and do nothing. This is ‘Being’mode.
‘Being’ is time out, but it’s not time wasted. In fact, these moments are whencreativity and insight take place, or simply when we allow ourselves time to recharge and recalibrate.
Try taking regular moments to just Be. Check out the free tools to get started with this.