The Lunch Break Mind Spa!
Is your mind always awash with possibilities? Do you feel there is a ‘white noise’ constantly in the background? If so, you could probably do with a little mind de-cluttering! It doesn’t have to be a major deal, you can do it in your lunch hour. See it as the mental equivalent of clearing a space to sit in and relax for a wee while. Give yourself some head space and take a break by trying out these three simple exercises in your next lunch break.
Three easy tips for mind de-cluttering
- Bring yourself fully into the present for just three minutes. It’s not long but if you are not used to it you’ll probably need a few goes at it. Whatever you are doing, eating a sandwich say, focus exclusively on it, (assuming you are somewhere safe and don’t eat your sandwich atop some scaffolding like that famous poster!) Look closely at your sandwich, notice the tiny holes in the bread, the way the filling is piled inside. Take care over the eating of your sandwich and pay attention to what you are about to eat. And as you eat it really savour every mouthful. Notice how the combination of food feels inside your mouth, how long it takes to chew. Try not to allow your mind to wander to what you have to do later. Just focus totally on the task in hand, don’t think about the past, or the future. Be totally in the now.
- Next, focus on how you feel. Do a little mini audit, examine your emotions as well as any physical feelings. Once you’ve identified, for example, that you feel warm and maybe a little irate, work out where these feelings have come from. You may feel warm because you have just run up a flight of stairs, or because the sun is streaming through the windows. Are you warm comfortable? Or warm and uncomfortable? Just notice. Where has that touch of irateness come from? Don’t try to analyse, just notice and evaluate. Perhaps on the run up the stairs you passed someone from the office of a colleague with whom you are in dispute. Until you stop to check out your feelings you may not even have been aware what you are holding onto.
- After you’ve finished your sandwich sit back and look around at your fellow (wo)-man. Again just notice what is happening around you, without making any judgements as to why they are happening. Always coming to a conclusion or making judgements on folk can be mentally draining. Try to suspend your story-making and judging faculties for ten minutes or so, especially if your job requires this of you regularly. If you see someone dressed unusually, for example don’t jump to a judgement about them. Just notice and allow it to wash over you. If someone says something that normally would rile you, just smile and accept it as their point of view.
That’ s your mini mind spa over! Don’t worry if it doesn’t come easily; with a little practice it will and you can give yourself a mind de-clutter in every lunch hour if you wish!
Photo credit: Idemidem
Time for Boredom?
I love Lucy Mangan, a writer for the Guardian Newspaper. Click here for her amusing observations on boredom in today’s newspaper.
Reading her article prompted this post. Do you remember long days of school summer holidays when nothing much ever happened? Do you allow yourself periods of inactivity now and again, time when your imagination has nothing to do but run riot. No gadgets, no machines, no TV or radio? Or is your life usually filled with some activity?
Just for an hour, or even 30 minutes, try switching off this week end. Literally switching off – and see if you can recharge your battery by doing nothing at all. That’s green!
One Wedding and a Holiday!
In yesterday’s post I exhorted you all to take a proper break from work, have a real holiday from the 21st Century. Even if just for one day.
And I am following my own advice! (Although I’m not sure that crossing the Atlantic on a plane counts as leaving the 21st century behind but the spirit is there…).
By the time you read this I will be in the US where I am attending the wedding of good friends. Gwilym, whom we have known since childhood, is marrying a lovely American girl, Molly, in California. And my husband has the honour of conducting the ceremony! He is not a priest, he’s a fire-fighter (!) but will be sworn in for the day as a marriage celebrant. Previously the only person he has married was me, 33 years ago: I’ve had great fun telling folks my husband is marrying our friends’ son!
And I am going to give myself over completely to enjoying the trip. No lap top, no obsessive checking of emails, (although I must admit someone else will be doing that and taking course bookings), and no phoning the office every day just in case the world has tipped on its axis because I am not there. I am going to relax and enjoy the whole experience. Laughing, crying (weddings- I can’t help it), I’ll be doing it all.
But one thing I won’t be doing, is working!
Whatever you’re doing for a break this summer, the important thing is to have one, a proper one. Whether it’s sunning yourself on the coast, lying in bed late every day with a great novel, touring a stately home, it doesn’t matter. Its purpose is to refresh you and recharge you, so do what you need to do, for you!
Regular readers will know that I place great importance on celebrating the good things in life, so in that spirit, please join me in an international toast, to Molly and Gwilym, the bride and groom! Much love and happiness forever!
I’ll catch you all after the break!
How to Use Your Lunch Break Effectively!
Taking your full lunch break can be one of the most productive things you can do! You will work all the better for it (assuming you don’t spend it drinking alcohol and eating masses of high carbohydrate food; then you’ll fall asleep!)
Tips for Great Lunch Break
- Avoid the rush and take it before or after peak hours.
- Meet a friend and don’t talk work.
- Go and give blood – you’ll feel very altruistic.
- Try a short power nap, or siesta, but preferably not at desk…
- Go to local library and browse.
- Once a week use it to learn something new-Spanish?
- Get outside in the fresh air, a park if possible.
- Go window shopping.
- Walk around local area as a tourist and look up. It’s amazing what you can see on buildings!
What has been the best lunch break you have ever had?
Your One Minute Mood Lift!
Next time you begin to feel stressed, (unless you are driving!) take one minute out of your hectic schedule to try this.
- Imagine you are making a scan of your body starting with your head right down to your toes. As you mentally travel down your body be aware where any tension is located and as ‘your scanner’ gets to it, exhale noisily and see the tension flowing away from you with the breath.
- Close your eyes and allow yourself to smile very slowly. Make sure that you don’t have a clamped jaw and a gritted teeth smile! Just allow a slow soft smile to form on your lips. You should feel your face muscles relaxing as you do this.
- Think up your own calming words. Words which help you slow down and repeat them slowly in your head. They might be: ‘soft’, ‘calm’, ‘soothe’,’ love’, ‘comfortable’, ‘release’, ‘warmth,’ or ‘relax’. Choose one that works for you.
When life gets a bit busy, give yourself just 60 seconds every day to try the one minute mood lift!
Do share any quick de-stressors you find helpful too!
Relax, Relax, Relax!
The week end is nearly upon us and what have you got planned? Of course, having a fire-fighter husband I am very aware that a significant proportion of you will be working; if you are working in one of our essential services -THANK YOU!
Wherever you are working you will have some free time at some point. How much of that time is yours as true leisure? How many of you have planned out this week end full of activities, shopping, visiting friends and family, housework etc?
We’re all ‘guilty’ of filling our time, packing in masses of activity, particularly at this time of the year. But remember that you need to recharge those batteries from time to time too. So, even if just for a thirty minutes or so but preferably an hour at least, take a bit of time out for yourself. Do whatever it is that recharges your battery. It’s not self indulgence-it’s essential maintenance!
