Taking the time for yourself can be seriously one of the most difficult tasks we all undertake each week. Some people love to be always engaged be it on line or with people 24/7, others are happy enough on their own and of course there are many who like the balance between both.
As adults we are always more or less switched on, working 40, 50 or 60+ plus hours each week, watching tv or films, on our smart phones and tablets- it is literally non-stop. This is all before we engage in real time with the people in our lives, time is something we are always looking for more of and a topic that is starting to creep into the conversation is- are we being present enough in our lives? I think not, it is difficult- we have become obsessed with social media and being always engaging on line. It can be hard to strike a balance about how much of ourselves we want to share and just what we should and need keep back for our off line (real lives) self.
Last year a report came out about social media causing anxiety and higher levels of depression- the term envy was flashed around and the perception that peoples on line lives were in fact 100% true to reality is often taken at face value. On line and your on line persona is not 100% true to life, often you will simply put out the best version of yourself through all your social media posts. Like no one is going to take a terrible picture and put it out on line because in essence you can edit your life- filter, put it in a little box and Insta fit to look like you are looking incredible and always having the best time of your life.
We see it all the time at concerts now especially people, taking videos, pictures, snapchats for the entire concert- missing the real time of the music, the talent and the show and for what to post on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or just to capture this moment on your phone. Don't fret we all know you are there, from your multiple facebook check ins!! I work in social media so am definitely one that is very switched on and I need to be its a huge part of my business, so as a result of this I now know the importance of switching off.
For the last 9 days, I was able to switch off for about 45 minutes each day as I attended a daily session of the Galway Novena, I also got two additional hour long candle lit mediation sessions over the 9 days which have helped me to really switch off and switch into myself. Today I met my neighbour who was pretty drained just from life, I meet her 3 to 4 times per week and today she said Lisa you look so happy and calm. I told her I feel energised and very connected and this can only be down to taking time out for me.
It is so important to do this everyday, put down your phone, switch off the tablet and most definitely stop looking at your phone before you go to sleep. Rest and switching off is as important as training, eating and drinking water. Everything that you do in life comes back to you so if you are not feeling on balance or content within yourself you can never fully commit to anything.
The mind is our most powerful muscle and if we don't treat it right we can suffer from burn out and feelings that completely overwhelm us. It can be a space that can be hard to come out of. Your mind will challenge you and it is also a space you cannot escape from. If you train yourself and your mind, you honestly can achieve anything.
As I have well documented, finally I got the handstand after beginning the journey in May 2014, in February 2015 I got it. How did this happen? It was a combination of daily physical practice and also 3 weeks ago, I began to visualise me in the end position, how it would feel and also the sensation of my feet touching the wall upside down. I thought about this every day, I practised and could feel myself edging closer, then I visualised me having completed the handstand and last Wednesday I got the handstand physically but in my mind 3 weeks ago I did it.
My body finally caught up with my mind and this for me has empowered to further believe that I can achieve anything. #Mindovermatter
