Do you ever feel like stress and anxiety are overtaking your life? Peace, focus and creativity are slipping away and it feels like you’re your days are just about ticking off the never-ending to-do list?
Welcome to the club.
I’m currently a woman on a mission, and that mission is to bring back more focus, creativity and calm into my life.
Here are some of the things I’ve tried so far:
- Lying on the bed and doing nothing else but listening to the music (I don’t think I’ve done that since I was a teenager);
- Leaving my phone at home, going to the park, sitting on the grass and watching people (amazing how many ideas I can come up with!);
- Eating the whole tub of salted caramel Häagen-Dazs instead of dinner just because I really felt like it;
- Deleting the junk data from my laptop; The satisfaction of looking at the uncluttered desktop – priceless;
- Watching the whole second season of Big Little Lies in one day and not feeling bad about it (also confirming that we don’t deserve the genius that is Meryl Streep);
- Staying away from my phone as much as possible – that’s the hardest but also the most rewarding thing I’ve tried in order to regain my focus;
- Stopped fooling myself that I’m good at multitasking. I’m not; In fact, I suck at it big time. So, doing one thing at a time, always. Amazing how much more productive and calm it made me.
I’m basically trying to slow down and listen to the needs of my body and mind more. I stopped pushing the anxiety-inducing idea that I should feel busy every single minute of my day.
The more I allow my mind to wander and my body to rest, the calmer and more focused I feel. And – surprise, surprise – productivity, creativity and ideas follow right behind.
If you feel stressed and the sucked out of creativity, do something that you secretly wanted to do for a while but deemed a ‘waste of time’.
Leave the mobile at home and go for a walk (granted, you will have at least one ‘where the hell is my phone??’ panic attack on the way but it will pass). Read a book; start writing a book; listen to the music; play with your dog; have a nap.
Whatever you do, be present, enjoy it without guilt, savour like the best wine.
Your mind is creative. Your body is strong. If you listen to them bit more, they will tell you what it is that you need so you can truly shine.
image by @tayla
Staying away from the phone or any other gadget is very difficult for today’s generation.
Your article is very informative. It’s a welcome change from other supposed informational content. Your points are unique and original in my opinion. I agree with many of your points.