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It was a wonderful weekend in North Florida with the days starting off chilly but warming by afternoon. I was feeling very stressed last week and by Friday evening, was not in much of a mood to do anything but sleep – I was that tired. Have you ever felt this way? So overwhelmed that you are not enjoying what is right in front of your face? I had to take a step back and try to figure out what was going on. Why was I feeling so anxious? What am I stressed about? When I realized that I had inadvertently stepped back into an old habit of worrying about tomorrow, I knew then and there that I had to take control of my thoughts and focus on now. Until I focused on the now, my happiness would be lacking and I’m generally a very happy person.
I have a tendency to get so wrapped up in what I have to do tomorrow or the next day that I forget to just enjoy what I’m doing RIGHT NOW. And when I don’t enjoy what I’m doing right now because I’m worried about everything I have to do in the next few days, I get stressed. It really doesn’t sound like much fun does it? It isn’t. If you find yourself doing this too, the best thing to do is stop and breathe. Breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose. This type of breathing will quickly lower your blood pressure and help you to get rid of the anxiousness you are feeling.
Once you are feeling calmer, sit and be calm in the moment. I know this sounds so simple but it really isn’t – at least not for me. I have a brain that never turns off. It’s always working on the next thing. In business, it benefits me. In my day to day life not so much. I have to sit and acknowledge the thought then let it go. After I have acknowledged the thought, I find it easier to just sit quietly. It is in those quiet moments that I can prioritize what is important to me.
After I have gotten myself back calm and in the moment, I choose to do something that won’t kick me right back into worrying about what is going to happen next week, tomorrow, or even that evening. This weekend, I stayed away from the computer more than I normally would which helped tremendously. I then tackled that closet of mine that I have been putting off and I can see the floor again! It’s amazing what a person accumulates in their closet.
My closet isn’t done yet but it will be this week. I found it very relaxing to sit and sort and get rid of the items that no longer matter to me. How many purses does one woman who works from home really need? While I was cleaning the closet, a thought occurred to me that I’m so focused on what I “think” I have to get done that I’m not doing the things I like to do and get done. I love to write but I’m so focused on sales for our business, that often I don’t have (or should I say “make”) the time to do the writing I love so much.
This morning I woke up earlier than usual and the first thing I did was write this post because I thought that if this is something I struggle with, I bet there are others too that struggle with the same things. The moral of this story? Minimalism isn’t just about simplifying material things. Living a minimalist lifestyle encompasses your complete day to day life including your living environment, your diet, your fitness and of course, your mind. Choose to be happy today.
Similar Posts:
Optimistic: Staying Positive
20 Tips To Stop Worrying
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