I’m looking at another of my quote images in this article, and it’s a relaxing one…
I took that photo down at Weymouth on the South West coast of Britain. It’s full of coastal paths down there, and benches a-plenty to stop and take a break. This particular bench is very nicely places, and I think the words go well over the top –
Go somewhere where you can get a big old view of nature. Sit quietly and breathe in deeply. Soak it in and let your mind relax. It’s powerful.
Now, those aren’t the snappiest words I’ve ever put on an image, but I did want to get across the need, the benefits, the power.
I know how a lot of people will react. In fact I can almost see the eyes rolling, I can almost hear the tutting and can definitely hear people saying “Hey Gordon, I just haven’t got time!”
Hmm.
That’s the problem. We don’t have time. No time for a luxury like that. No time to enjoy myself with a bit of peace, not when there’s all that ‘stuff’ to do!
So, let’s look at why I say it has power, look further into what stops us, and look at what we can do about it…
When we get out into a big space, our perspective changes. It could be looking out to sea, taking in the sea air, it could be looking over countryside inland, taking in the smell of the grass. It could be a sunset, it could be a sunrise, it could be looking at the stars. It’s not a precise thing, but it’s better if it’s somewhere ‘big’.
Somewhere big enough to drive home what we already know, but forget to often, which is that we’re small. In the scale of things, we’re small. We’re not the centre of the universe, and neither are our problems. Time will pass, in the way that it always does, and at some point we’ll end looking back and wondering about what we’re doing in the here and now.
This perspective is a great way of getting past problems, just by adjusting the perspective, because firstly it can change the way we think about the importance of a problem, and secondly, that change of thinking can change the way we *act*.
That’s where the power comes in.
It’s also powerful because of the health benefits. Physical health can be improved dramatically with simple regular walks, and mental health can be helped by what I’ve already covered.
If it’s so powerful then, why do we not do it often enough, or not do it at all!?
The time reason I’ve mentioned is the main one, viewing this kind of thing as a luxury, enjoyable perhaps, but a luxury nonetheless, and certainly not rating high on the importance stakes. We’ll do it if we can fit it in, and even then only if we can be bothered.
Well, I’ve written often that rest and relaxation are not luxuries. They are essentials, and should be scheduled as such.
That’s the two pronged solution right there.
We must view this activity of recharging, and regaining perspective, as an essential part of life. We can all feel the benefit when we do it, so we don’t have to dig too deep to find that we *know* it’s something we should be doing more of.
If we move to a position that it’s an essential rather than a luxury, we can then look at the second part of the solution, which is to schedule it as such.
This is not necessarily going to be easy. In fact, it’s may well be very difficult! Those time suckers that we all have seem permanent. Got to do this, got to do that. Take away work time, journey to work, chores, eating, sleeping, then we don’t have any time left – certainly not time enough to go traveling somewhere to stare into the distance!
I can understand this. Habits build up, and habits of how we use our time build up. The thing is though, you’re spending your time *somehow.* It’s no more or less than the same 24 hours that we all have in day.
So, the question becomes, how exactly are you spending that time. If you think you haven’t got time for something as powerful as what I’m suggesting, something probably needs to go. I’m not being glib when I say that, and while I do understand the power of habit, habits can be changed, and here’s a superb way of changing habits so that you do have time…
Instead of finding the time, or hoping that time appears, you make time, and you make time by scheduling it.
If you put going out to look at nature in the ‘when I have time’ box, that’s exactly where it’ll stay, but if you schedule it, it’s far more likely to happen. That’s because if it’s down in your schedule, and you attach importance to it, other things will have to be scheduled around it, rather than the other way around.
That will have the effect of moving other things, or dropping other things, and suddenly you’ve got the time for this relaxation and recharge.
I may have already said that this is powerful. The scheduling technique is a simple but powerful way of allowing ourselves to take advantage of a simple but powerful way to enrich our lives.
It’s easy to dismiss this idea, and dismissing it allows us to carry on as before, with our current habits in full flow. That’s a shame though, and I’d suggest we’re doing ourselves a disservice if we take that view.
It’s also easy to dismiss if you’ve never actually tried it, or not done it for a long time. I do believe that if you take the idea on board, get yourself out there to a big expanse and soak up some nature, you’ll feel the benefit right away, and then you’ll do it again. And again.
You’ll feel the recharge, you’ll feel the resetting of perspective, and you’ll notice the change it has on how you think, feel and act. So, look at the image. There are benches and places all over, ready all the time to be taken advantage of. Get yourself somewhere to soak in a big old view of nature. Sit quietly and breathe in deeply. Soak it in and let your mind relax. It’s powerful.
Try it, let me know how you get on!
Ok, I love the feedback – do let me know what you think!
‘Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
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