The Art of Being Still

Let’s talk about getting quiet and being still. I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert in this. In fact, I still struggle quite a bit with this. However, I have learned how to do this better and practice stillness every day. Just like everyone else, I oftentimes have felt “I don’t have time for this.” That of course really isn’t true. It’s just making the time for it and making it a priority. Sometimes the most important thing that can help us is stopping and being still. It seems counterintuitive. Life can feel like it’s coming at you 90 miles a minute. When you’re feeling that way, it doesn’t feel like the correct response is pausing. You want to do, do, do and go, go, go. But pausing for that 10 to 15 minutes can be the difference between a focused and productive time or running around like a chicken with your head cut off if you’re not going to pause. I don’t know about you, but I just don’t do as well when I’m the chicken running around with my head cut off.

Force yourself to pause. Step away from the distractions. Really evaluate what you “can’t” step away from. I admit there are probably some times where you can’t. There were many times in the emergency department- I literally could not step away at times. However, even there I missed opportunities where I could have gotten things together and then gone about my busy day. However as soon as you can safely realistically step away, do it. No hesitation.

For me, writing is a large part of processing. I have to get out everything that is swimming around in my head. I learned about a process called the morning pages from The Skinny Confidential, which is found in the Artist’s Way. I do this in the mornings shortly after I get up. I write three pages- no matter what, and it’s a stream of thoughts. I get all these things out. Then I focus. What am I doing for the day, how am I aligning myself with the goals I have, praying on a bible verse that relates to where I am in life, and keeping things in perspective.

Meditation- I am inconsistent with this I admit, but one of the things I enjoyed learning with my Headspace app (I have only done the free version) was that it’s not so much about not allowing your mind to wander, it’s about noticing where it’s wandering. Yeah, it would be nice if it was clear but sometimes you have to acknowledge the thought before you can get back to the looking inward. It’s about really being present and paying attention. It's learning how to quiet everything around you and focus inward. I believe this just opens up a whole new perspective that isn’t there when you're in the chaos. I’m definitely not going to mediate on every decision on my life, but I think it has its merits for difficult times or challenging issues and is great to have a consistent practice- even if only for 5-10 minutes.

Being still is a part of being self-aware for me. Everyone is busy and gets sucked into ALL the things that we think have to be done. I can tell you one of the most important things you will do that will be a game changer is if you can consistently sit with yourself and look at things in your life. Every day. It’s not always so great, but the more you know about yourself, the better you’re going to be able to show up in every day life. It has allowed in huge growth for me, and being able to recognize things in myself. Things that trigger certain responses so that I can choose not to respond to them and understand why it bothers me. Like all of use, I can get stuck on what’s going on right in front of me and just focus on what’s happening to me. Reflecting can bring me outside of myself and allow me to see the whole perspective. I feel that’s really important in actually being able to take the personal part out of the issue and really tackle moving forward with finding solutions.

Where’s one area of your life you can work on being still? I’m curious to hear! Sparkle Up Buttercup!!!