Sometimes I find that I just need to reset. As spoken by Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Life today DOES happen fast, and sometimes despite our best of intentions we find ourselves reeling to keep up. What I have found is that instead of chasing life by the tail, sometimes it is best just to take a time out.
Certain days a five minute breather does the trick and at other times a whole day would be more appropriate. The idea is to do this often enough that we don’t ever feel the need for an epic vacation because we are living such ideal lives that we would never dream of vacating them. However, if you are super overwhelmed with where your life is, setting aside a time to retreat and reset for as long as you can – week, a month, a year – may just be the hiatus from a not-ideal reality that you need to start the new, intentional life you want to be living.
Yesterday I took a time out, a short one, just for a couple hours. I donned my backpack, got on my bike, and set out for some green space. I have found my needs are pretty simple in terms of what I require for a quick reset.
Although my reset varies depending on what is calling me at the time, there are a few things that it generally seems to incorporate.
1. Finding some place out in nature where I can be quiet and alone.
2. Finding a comfortable place to lay on the earth.
3. Breathing clean, fresh air.
4. Taking a few rounds of slow, deep breaths.
5. Stretching my body.
6. Visualizing something that fills me with joy.
7. Filling my thoughts with the many things I experience that I am grateful for.
8. Appreciating myself, making a mental list.
9. Doing some light mental or physical organizing.
10. Imagining and embodying spaciousness.
Yesterday when I got to my green space, I first climbed a tree. I spent some time laying in a comfortable nook breathing in the fresh fall air, being grateful for the strong limbs supporting me, and for the beautiful day I was experiencing. When I climbed down I moved my body around, doing some playing and stretching, continually clearing my mind clear of any mental clutter that tried to creep in. When it felt like time, I laid down in the grass and filled my mind appreciation, first for taking the time to reset, and then gratitude for all the other pieces of my joyful existence. I smiled and soaked in the gratitude filling my body with happiness and ease. I reminded myself that I could come back to this feeling place at anytime. I decided that when I returned home I would clean and organize my space, make a nice simple meal and enjoy it in mindful silence. Then I would do two items on my “to do” list that I had since gained inspiration about and spend the rest of my night playing, and that is just what I did.
Could you benefit from taking time for a quick reset? What would that entail for you? How much time would be ideal for you to set aside? Can you take it now or schedule it into your life? You deserve to feel reset and refreshed. If you are looking to the world for permission, I believe you just found it here, within yourself.