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Cyndi Sarnoff-Ross is a licensed psychotherapist with almost twenty years of clinical experience in the fields of clinical psychology and organizational management br br She has worked extensively with a wide variety of…
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7 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Moments
Everyday life is so busy, so filled with tasks both meaningful and insignificant that we often forget to stop and enjoy each other. This time of the year can help us to slow down a bit. Most businesses (not all) go into low gear this time of year - unless of course you are in a seasonal business like retail in which case life gets even crazier. In reality we shouldn't need the Holidays to force us to slow down and take stock, it should be a way of life. Most people are simply missing out, on their children growing up, their parents growing older and intimate moments with their mate. This is a sad truth that seems to get worse with each passing year and the development of new technology designed to save time but in reality makes us busier than ever before. I watch people on their cell phones and their Blackberries during school events or out at restaurants. I realize the idea is that they can take care of some business that they won't need to deal with later, but what they are actually doing is missing out on the moment. It may just be a moment that their child reports some new discovery or asks a poignant question or maybe it is just the opportunity to sit in quiet with the ones you love. Either way those moments are being all but eradicated from modern society.
I'd like to make some suggestions about how to get back on track with living in the moment a bit more. While you can't stop time from marching on or advancements in technology, nor would you want to, you can make healthier choices for your own life. Here are 7 things you can do to get your life back:
1) Schedule time each day to be with the people you care about without engaging in another task - no cell phone, computer or other distraction. This is particularly important if you are a parent. Note: connecting with your children while driving is great but it is not enough. You are still multi-tasking.
2) Turn off the television. Pick the programs that you want to watch instead of just vegetating in front of the set and indiscriminately watching. Turn it off when you are not watching something specific that you have planned to watch. Television can be an incredible time suck.
3) Take more walks with no destination in mind - just for the sake of being outside.
4) Practice mindfulness which entails being acutely aware of your surroundings - the sights, smells, sounds - for at least 10 minutes per day.
5) Slow down. That old adage "haste makes waste" holds true. Try not to worry about getting everything done.
6) Prioritize. When people are forced to identify what really must get done and what is extra and crowding their life their to-do list get significantly shorter.
7) Just say "No". If you value your down time then don't give it all away by over committing yourself. Extend yourself to others both personally and professionally only to the extent that it leaves time for you to enjoy your moments. It really is Ok to say, "No" but you must get comfortable accepting other's disappointment. In the long run the trade off will be well worth it.
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I didn't feel that they had aknowleged my Cancer, they never talked about it. I now feel loved and cared about!I teared and felt they felt loved also.
God Bless
Being comfortable with saying no is a hard one, especially if you are worried about hurting someone. How does one ever do that?
http://www.medicalbuyer.co.in/2007/nascent-market-1101-41.html
Shari
www.care2tell.com
Even if you take just one step a day you are definitely going in the right direction.
Charlene
Thank you very much.