Ease Up Before You Crack
Author: Pat Samples


Ease Up Before You Crack
How many things can you pack into a day without going nuts?
With the rush-rush pressure of deadlines, instant
messaging, and unrelenting change, you may think you have
to keep pressing on, working madly to become ever more
efficient in the endless pursuit of getting "caught up."

What's the fun in that?

Exactly! Oh sure, there is the adrenaline rush of getting
ahead in the race. And the kudos and cash rewards can be
substantial. Yet, aren't there days when you wonder if
you're crazy going at this pace all the time? Your body may
especially be giving you signals that it can't take much
more. Headaches. Digestion problems. Rapid heart rate.
Sleeplessness. Maybe just plain exhaustion. Be honest now
– what's your body saying about your rapid-paced lifestyle?
If you're relying on large amounts of alcohol or medication
or even "calming" spa time to slow yourself down, how nuts
is that!

Maybe it's time you listened to your body for some clues
about the pacing that's best for you. Try this simple
activity:

1) Find a fairly large space to walk in – a long hallway, a
big family room, or an outdoor area.
2) Walk for a couple minutes however you want to walk.
3) Then walk for a minute or two at the pace your life is
going.
4) Walk at the opposite pace.
5) Experiment with different ways and speeds of walking for
a few minutes.
6) Walk at the pace you'd like your life to be going.

As you do this exercise, explore each kind of walking with
childlike curiosity. Have fun with it. Spend some time
noticing how your body feels at each of the speeds. Where
does your body feel most comfortable? What seems most like
"home" for you?

After doing this exercise, write in your journal a few
paragraphs beginning with, "When I take my own sweet
time...." Pay attention to what you discover about what
your own timing is and how it gives you satisfaction and a
sense of ease. Make yourself a promise to honor you
internal clock as much as possible.

Let your curiosity and new awareness stay with you
throughout the next few days. What is the pacing that
leaves you most in the flow and having the most fun during
your day? What health benefits do you start to notice?
Maybe you'll even feel a little less "crazy"!

Enjoy the freedom that comes when you take your own sweet
time.


About the Author:

Learn how to play your way through your day and hear other
tips about inspired living and fearless aging at
http://www.patsamples.com . Pat's new book The Secret
Wisdom of a Woman's Body: Freeing Yourself To Live
Passionately and Age Fearlessly has been called by AARP's
magazine "what our generation wants to read."