Brain Breathing
When living in London, it was possible to have at least 10 meetings in a day. The public transport allowed for this, as well as the closeness of everyone’s offices. It was the way of the world, breakfast meetings followed by morning meetings followed by lunch meetings, etc, until 10 pm – you arrived home, exhausted!
This was a normal day for most Londoners.
It was as if you hadn’t achieved anything if you hadn’t been busy. It was only when I tried to recreate that life in LA, that I realised it was too much. The sheer distance of everything makes that an immediately impossible task. Even attempting three meetings a day seems to be impossible. It was through this understanding that I ended up generally making only 1 or 2 meetings a day. To my surprise I wasn’t achieving less, in fact, I was achieving more. I was allowing myself time to grow and learn, and leaving space for the magic that can happen when every minute isn’t planned. I began to focus more on myself, taking time for self-care, and giving myself time to breathe.
Brain Breathing is remembering to S.T.O.P.
Stop and create a space that might have otherwise been filled.
Think about nothing. This will give your brain time to relax.
Observe your behaviour while practicing this tool.
Pause to see how you feel.
What Do You Actually Need?
Outside your toolbox, draw or write what you think you need. Inside, write or draw what the underlying needs are. Eg: I need a holiday = I need to take time for myself.
About the Author: Medicine with Words
