Enjoying the Process

The importance of taking time for yourself, being present and mental health

It is easy to get caught up in the routine of everyday life. At the beginning, our lives begin with very few responsibilities. The most important thing we have to look forward to is recess and christmas. As we enter the next stages of life, our responsibilities increase, our personal time decreases, our schedules become a non-stop race against time. Kids come into the picture, full time careers and mortgage payments. We are consistently forced to look ahead to the next date marked on our calendar. When this becomes our reality, the days go by quicker, and, in turn, so do the years. In a blink of the eye, ten years have gone by and you’re stuck wondering where did the time go? With our non stop lifestyle it is easy to put your own needs on the back burner while you’re taking care of your family, getting to appointments on time, and working 9 to 5 everyday. This leaves little time for us to focus on our own well being. This can become a slippery slope, which could lead to resentment, regret, and depression. When we don’t take time to care for ourselves, balance our energies, we wont be able to give to our partners, children or family what they need from us. Try to slow things down, take a certain period of time each day for yourself to make sure you’re being taken care of. Go for a walk or run, try a yoga class, go get a coffee and do some reading, sit for 5 minutes and focus on letting your thoughts come and go. Let your mind take a break from thinking about what is next. Balancing your own energies will allow you to function at a higher level in all of your relationships, intimate or social.

Another common practice we as a society have adopted, is the tendency to spend the majority of our time comparing ourselves to what we see on social media, looking ahead to what plans are scheduled next week, next month or next year. When we are consistently comparing ourselves to another and focussing our energy on a future date we aren’t being present in this moment right now, we can’t fully appreciate the significance of how fortunate we are to live in such a safe, beautiful country. When we are focussing on the future we are unable to be happy with our present moment because our minds are elsewhere, if our minds are consistently elsewhere, not in the present moment, then how can we appreciate and be happy with our lives, and what we are doing right now?

Now, in saying that. I understand the importance of setting long term goals to work towards, this too, is also very important for ones well being. Working hard and reaching that goal you set for yourself is an amazing feel. It keeps you moving forward and progressing as a human being. Find that fine line of setting goals and working toward them and taking a moment to appreciate the process, the now, and how good it feels to be able to work towards that goal.

At the end of the day, our experience in this life, on this earth is finite. We are only here for 90 years if we are lucky. Enjoy your friendships, your family, the now. Set some goals, work towards them, and enjoy the process of life.