I just found a great article I'd like to share:
7 Little Habits That Can Change Your Life by Zen Habits.
The seven habits discussed are not all what you would consider "obvious", (although "exercise" is included as one of the seven habits to change). There are many suggestions that I had not considered before as a behavior that I needed to consciously "change" in my life, but the author brings up some good points about such things as kindness, eliminate the non-essential, and creating a daily routine.
One of the habits especially "spoke" to me at this moment in my life:
#3. Single-tasking (instead of multi-tasking). When I used to work in a fast-paced environment, there was a certain adrenaline-surge I got with "putting out fires", answering tough employee questions, writing a report, being on a conference call and preparing for a presentation, all within the same thirty-minute time period. On those particular days, I was exhausted in the evening, did not have time to socialize, have fun with my family, exercise or even eat healthfully. Sound familiar?
With the simple art of "single-tasking" (a behavior I adopted several months ago, and I did not know there was a term for this until I read this article!), I have found much less stress in my life, without taming my "to-do" list.
I have tried, on many occasions, to revert back to my "multi-tasking" days, but have found the consequences to be that I...
a) am more irritable, tired and feeling unaccomplished for that day
b) do not have a felling of "a job well done", as I did not complete any task to the best of my ability, or up to the quality standard that I was attempting
c) am preoccupied in the evening, as I "replay" the tasks (both done and undone) in my mind, thinking about how I could have done them better, and reassuring myself that yes, I did complete that task (it's hard to remember what has been 100% completed when working on too-many things at once).
We often are looking for ways to "de-stress" in our lives, and I found that this simple technique of "single-tasking" has worked well for me. I have carried this over into my family life as well. How many times have you been playing with your children (or pet or whomever!) and were not really enjoying it, because you were trying to solve a problem in your mind, or were working on the computer, talking on the phone, at the same time? Most of the time when I do this (sometimes it is inevitably going to happen), I am actually mentally and emotionally absent from the priority in my life (my child/pet/fill-in-the-blank), not having fun, not paying attention, not "in the moment", and am also not able to fully devote my problem-solving skills to my other issues. By attempting one task at a time (play with son for 20 minutes, then complete the task/solve the problem), I am much better at doing both well!
Tell me if you read this article, and how it inspires you! I'd love to hear if you decide to change any of these "7 little habits", and how it impacts your life!
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment1 Comments
interesting article, for more meditation articles please visit http://samadhientrainment.com
December 9, 2014 - 2:31amThis Comment