(This blog was originally posted on January 6, 2014)
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| Photo courtesy of Microsoft |
Many
people fulfill several roles in their daily life. They juggle the role of
parent, spouse or romantic partner, athlete, friend, etc., plus the myriad
responsibilities they fulfill at work. Sometimes it feels like a full-time job
to just keep track of who you are supposed to be and what you are supposed to
be doing at any given moment. Here are some suggestions to help you relax and
be completely “present” in whatever you are doing—no matter how much (or
little) time you spend in that role.
·
Square
breathe. Draw a deep breath through the nose and hold it to the count of four,
then exhale through your mouth. As you inhale, visualize, imagine, picture or
pretend that you are inhaling calm,
focus, patience and any word that you associate with feeling powerful and
in control. As you exhale, allow any stress, frustration or negative energy or
emotion that you identify in your body.
·
Anchor
this new sensation by pressing or rubbing the thumb and index (pointing) finger
of either hand. This action physically “anchors” your subconscious mind to the
calm, relaxed state of focused energy that you will be able to access as you
fulfill each role.
·
Prioritize
what you need to do. Make a list—mental or write it down—of what needs your
attention. The first item should be what needs to be done right now. What is the next priority, and so on?
·
If
a project is particularly complicated or involved, break that big project into
several smaller, more manageable “chunks.” Even though the final project is the
same, it is psychologically easier—and more rewarding—to tackle small portions
of it at a time.
·
Stay
organized and on-task. Make sure that you have all of the material(s)
available and on-hand to achieve your goal or complete your project.
·
Unless
the project absolutely demands this kind of contact or you are waiting for
someone in your group to arrive, turn off/silence your phone or computer.
Technology makes our lives easier in many ways, but the temptation to check for
unrelated text messages or voice-mail and browse the Internet for
something-that-might-be-useful-but-is-actually-totally-unrelated to what you
are doing, is almost always more distracting than helpful.
·
Complete
each task according to its priority before
you tackle the next one!
Whether
you are supervising a project at work, spending quality time with your family
or just chilling out with your friends, each activity will place a specific
demand on your attention and the time you spend doing...whatever. It is
important to dedicate as much time as you want or need to this activity, but
make sure that your focus is completely on that project. You, and whatever you
are doing or working on, deserve nothing less—and you will value the time you
spend focusing on this endeavor even more.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a
certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with
honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®
and to set up an appointment, please
visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
