We live an increasingly stress-inducing world. That’s why it’s so incredibly important to find time for deep relaxation. The Buddhists say that “everybody should meditate for 10 minutes a day – unless you’re really busy, in which case you should meditate for 20 minutes”. It sounds counterintuative, but it’s true! The busier we are, the more conscious we need to be of our self-care.
My first job, when I was 17, was delivering pizzas on a moped in my home town of Bray. The moped didn’t have any gears – just a throttle. Its “high speed” was about 30 mph. So, of course, I drove it at ‘full throttle’ pretty much all of the time. What do you think happened to the motor? Of course, it burned out in no time at all. The same applies to the human body. We can’t go at full throttle all of the time, without paying the price – burnout. And you do not want to get to ‘Burnout‘! Symptoms of Burnout include:
Feeling drained or tired most of the time
Feeling helpless
Feeling detached/isolate
Feeling overwhelmed
Procrastinating and taking longer to get things done
Self-doubt
Having a cynical/negative outlook
Burnout is not something which passes by itself. Effort (behaviour change) is needed, or else it will get progressively worse, if left unchecked. If you are experiencing Burnout and would like treatment/therapy, go to the home page.
If we can find 23 minutes (and more!) in our day to scroll through our social media feeds, we can find time to deeply relax. I highly recommend this guided relaxation from the brilliant Paul McKenna. I’ve been trawling Youtube for years, looking for great guided meditations for my clients (and myself!). This is, by far, the best I’ve ever come across.
So, put on the headphones (you’ll need them for this recording), put the phone on ‘do not disturb’ and give yourself the gift of 23 minutes of deep relaxation. You’ve earned it!
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