I can’t quite explain it, but something clicked in my brain this afternoon: Am I always in this much of a rush? Do I always live for the next moment instead of the present?

Allow me to elaborate…
I just got back from spending a wonderful afternoon with my dear grandma. Because there always seems to be an infinite amount of work to do or catch up on, weekends included, I find I just have to put her on my calendar or else a week or more will go by and quality visits don’t happen. My plan was to visit at 11, have a quick lunch and run errands with her so I could be back by 2:30 at the latest.

Our quick lunch, it turns out, took over two hours. The lucky people in retirement communities have nowhere else they have to be so lunch, I have learned, is served on European time. Needless to say, I didn’t get back to work until 5pm.

For a large portion of the afternoon, I felt rushed. Needlessly so. Even more interesting is how long it took me to realize I was constantly thinking about the future and not the present moment.  Instead, I found myself thinking about the next activity on our list or the work waiting for me back at the office. I was stressing over nothing when I should have used that time to relax and revitalize.

Remember:
There will always be a list and there will always be more things to do. That’s life. The sooner you accept this and learn to live in the moment, the more relaxed and better off you’ll be. If you don’t learn to do this, you’ll never enjoy what life brings your way.

If you think of only the task at hand, you’ll be a lot more productive. Lists were created so you can give your full attention to the present and think about the future later!

BE PRESENT! Right here, right now.

Zen Credit

We live increasingly busy and demanding lives. So much to do, so little time. We spend our lives worrying about the things we both can and can’t control. Our active days and the information-heavy world we live in can easily drain our energy, which leads to a lack of productivity and creativity.

When did you last take a moment during the day to recharge your batteries? It doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t need a special space. You can literally take a minute anywhere. I found this video thanks to a fellow goddess who is also passionate about empowering women :

Benefits of taking a minute for yourself:

• Increased productivity
• Increased creativity
• Sleep well at night
• Avoid burn-out
• A feeling of peace
• Better judgment
• Sound business decisions

If you’re at the computer all day and need a reminder to take a minute, PeacePulse offers a download to help. Every hour, a pleasant ping will remind you of yourself.

Food for thought: Mental happiness is total relaxation.