7 Ways To Cultivate Balance And Make Room For New Possibilities
Posted on February 04, 2013 by John Herberger MEd, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
By Letting Go we make room for New Possibilities to emerge in our life.
As humans we like to hang on. We like to accumulate. It’s a part of our nature; it may even be a survival instinct dating back to prehistoric times of scarcity. Even our society places a value on accumulating, whether it’s material possessions, skills, knowledge or even relationships. Yet there is little mention of “letting go” in our modern world.
The inability to “let go” keeps us awake at night when we need sleep, leads to poor decision making and creates a world of chaos, as our muddled inner world is reflected back to us. Think of it as an episode of “Hoarders”, only instead of boxes of newspapers it’s fixated thoughts and anxious emotions cluttering our minds. The Buddhists call this Monkey Mind – when the mind is constantly chattering and jumping from one thought to another, like a monkey swinging from one branch to another. Never stopping, never slowing down to let go.
With the ability to let go, we begin to feel refreshed, we keep open to different perspectives and we make room for new possibilities to emerge. So how do we begin to let go? Letting go may be easier than you think and takes a minimal amount of discipline to start practicing. So let’s begin. Here are a few tips for letting go, whether you’re a morning person or a night owl:
1. Set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier. When you awaken, don’t get up and make your coffee or get on the internet to check the news or your email. Lay there and begin to breathe in a regular and deep pattern. Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, focus on the count of your in-breath and then focus on the count of your out-breath. If your mind begins to wander bring it back to the focus of counting your breath. Be kind and compassionate to yourself if you lose count. There is no judgment here. By breathing, you’re giving priority to your mind/body connection and this will impact the rest of your day.
2. Set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier and mindfully make your morning tea or coffee. Take a moment to contemplate what has gone into having this wondrous morning routine. The sun and rain needed to grow the plants, the hands of the workers who picked the plants, the people who packaged the product, the drivers who transported your morning beverage, the merchant who sold it to you, the very water that is needed for brewing – all for your pleasure at this time. Take a moment, be thankful for everything and every person who contributed to your beverage. Sip your coffee/tea (especially if you’re used to gulping in a rush), breathe, stretch your neck, rest in the feeling of gratitude (do not get on the internet or turn on the tv/music) Just rest in gratitude. Again, if your mind wanders just gently bring it back to the gratitude of being with this beverage.
3. Change your lunch routine. Do something to get out of your head. Take a walk and count your steps; if your mind drifts and you lose count just begin at any number. It’s not the number that’s important; it’s the practice of getting out of your head that’s important. Eat lunch alone while listening to a meditative download – try to find a 15 minute meditation download so you’re not stressed about time constraints.
4. Make a space between leaving work and getting home. Learn to transition slowly. Most of us have an agenda as soon as we walk through the door. Again, take a walk and be mindful of your steps. Journal 3 things you were thankful for in your day so far. Making a transitional routine will change your home life.
5. Laugh (or at the very least, smile). Find something that amuses you or makes you feel good inside. This is subjective to each individual. For me playing with my dog after a stressful day is a great way to change my perspective before transitioning into my at-home routine. However this works at any time of day. You can do this upon waking, at lunch or even before going to bed. Find an action that makes you feel happy. Experiment by leaving some posted notes in unexpected places with the words “smile” or “laugh” on them and see what emerges.
6. Get ready for bed 10 minutes earlier. Return to point 1 and mindfully breathe or return to point 2 and make a mindful cup of decaffeinated tea. Listen to a meditation download for 15 minutes. Any one of these can change your sleep patterns.
7. Once you have experienced these moments of bliss decide if you want to take this practice deeper. Look into a Yoga, Mindful Strength Training or Qi Gong class. See if there is a meditation group in your area. Perhaps there is a contemplative spiritual practice at your place of worship; if so, join in – follow your heart’s pull.
These simple little practices in letting go of the mind can have a profound effect on our energy level, our ability to sleep and our ability to be present in decision making. It only takes 10 minutes to start the ball rolling.
By letting go, we create a space for new possibilities to emerge and it’s a great way to practice loving-kindness towards ourselves.
John F Herberger, M.Ed.
