Down Time in Life

Written by Don Shetterly

I recently saw a post on twitter about this subject and could not help but write about it myself.  Downtime in life is something we all avoid.  We think it is as nasty as swimming in a mud pit or something.

Yet, downtime is so important.  It is quite necessary to the healthy function of the mind and the body.  It is necessary for the nervous system to not get overloaded and refresh itself.

Downtime helps us enjoy the finer moments of life and the world in which we live.  It keeps us from going off the deep end and diving into a pool with no water.

The Twitter tweet I'm referring to is this one.

“When children are overwhelmed they lose the precious down time they need to explore, reflect and release tension. ” https://t.co/nwlROQVHUv

— jason hilkey (@hilkeyj) August 1, 2016

One thing we don't realize is that especially in this day and age we keep ourselves going almost 100% of the time.  We, therefore, expect our children to keep up with this pace and so we teach them through our example that downtime is not important.  If we cannot do it for ourselves, how can we expect our children to learn proper healthy behaviors from our example?

One activity or meeting after another...

I've seen it a million times when doing massage where people are so busy, they have no time to stop.  It is one activity and meeting to another.  One activity or club or sport to another with their children.  It is almost like we are doing everything we can to avoid downtime in our life.

This is not normal and healthy behavior for humans.  Our bodies are not designed to run constantly.  Our minds are not designed to go from one continuous task to another.  Our nervous system is not healthy when we don't give it time to come back into balance.

Just before I was paralyzed from a Conversion Disorder, I was working 18 hours a day in my job, almost 7 days a week.  I was trying to be the best and be everything for my boss, the company, and those that I worked with every day.  I didn't know what it meant to take care of myself.  I didn't know what downtime was.  I was just like everyone else that I kept going and pushing but never stopping.

Conversion Disorder stopped my life...

Conversion Disorder brought me to a complete stop in life.  There was nothing else I could do but stop and start to figure out how to function in life once again.  It was a slow process, but it started by listening to the birds and feeling the sunshine and enjoying the little things in life.  It started by learning how to relax and stop and let go.

The process wasn't an overnight success.  It took me years, but I knew that if I went back to the Conversion Disorder experience, the second time would not be as fortunate for me.  It was a strong motivator to change my life.

Downtime and relaxation are critical to our well-being.  It is critical to the health of our mind, our body, and our nervous system.  If you read the news or watch the current political climate, you can see strong evidence, that our mind, body, and nervous systems are anything but healthy.

When we neglect down time...

When we neglect downtime, it is then that stress builds up in our lives and connects with past experiences where illness can begin to show up.  We've seen the alarming statistics about how much we continue to spend on healthcare, but yet we aren't any more healthy than we were 20 years ago.

We can all do so much to help improve the health of our own mind, body and nervous system.  It is a choice we make to either take care of ourselves or not.

If we don't make this an important part of our life, who will?  If you wait for someone to tell you to do this, you will probably never hear it.  If you wait until your health has gone past the point of no return, you will wish you had paid more attention and given yourself the downtime you need.

If we truly want to pass something beneficial on to our children, we will learn how to enjoy downtime and teach our children through example.  In the process, we will be giving ourselves one of the greatest gifts we can by taking care of the one and only body we get in this lifetime.

Do you get enough downtime in your day (not in a week or month or year, but in a day)?  If not, what will you start to do today to change that?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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An Ocean Meditation

Sitting at the ocean, watching the waves come in and listening to the sounds is a relaxing and energizing experience. There is something about water that acts as an agent of transformation in our life.

Just picture the sun shining through the deep blue sky. A few clouds appear and others drift in and out. The birds fly by as if they are watching out over the shoreline. A few birds run around on the hot sand hoping to catch a meal that appears.

The breeze blows gently as the roar of the ocean waves making their way in to the shore, crash against the water return to sea. The ripples of water flow over the varying heights of the ocean floor. Patterns of many colors appear one minute and are gone the next as a wave washes them away.

People run and play as the water mesmerizes time. For time, at the ocean never runs out. There is as much of it as there are grains of sand. A plane flies above and a boat sails by but it seems to all if time is of no concern. There is no worry about another day. It is that moment which becomes the joy of life.

The tide goes out showing a part of the ocean floor that is not always seen. It gives way to an enlarged beach as tiny pools of water heat up in the sun. Then, as the tide comes in, the water deepens and the beach seems to shrink as if it is saying goodbye. What appeared before, is now lost in time. It is like it was there but no longer seen in that moment. When it returns another day, its shape and size will be different than the day before.

Feeling, hearing and jumping into the power of the greeting waves, brings the energizing power of time to the shore. As the water rushes back to the ocean, it pulls everything with it at such a force. The strength of the water is something to observe with awe.

Yet, throughout a day at the beach, time stands still. Our worries and concerns dwarf in comparison to the never ending body of water. Our eyes are mesmerized by the sun dancing with the wind on the water. Our bodies, minds, and souls are refreshed, energized and relaxed at the sights and sounds.

For me, there is a spiritual connection. If I have any problems or concerns, I know that the ocean is big enough to carry them away. It brings in what I need and it is happy to take away that which I do not need. It reminds me of a larger force within my word. The ocean gives me a sense of being just one person in a very big world. It helps show me that no matter what I am connected to, something much larger than myself is present.

The ocean is a place of retreat for my body as my mind wrestles with life's difficult moments. it is where time stands still when it is rushing by. It is where I feel renewed in my mind, body and connected to my soul.

There is something to the ocean that is mysterious and inspiring. It is not something that can be explained but must be experienced. The connection is to something greater that just accepts me in the moment while it demands nothing in return. It just allows me to live in that moment with no strings attached.

A day at the ocean is wonderful. My life is filled with renewal, as I offer all my concerns and worry to the waves. I breathe in the energy as I feel the power of the sun. I give thanks as the birds run and play.

For the ocean is my rock, my transformation and the view of so much more. Without it, life would not seem complete. I am thankful for it.




Check out Relaxing Ocean Wave Sounds I recorded.





 
*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Five Minute Silent Meditation

So often in life, each of us has so much noise, clutter and chaos. We could all probably list many things that consume our attention but really don't get our feet moving from point A to point B. Our minds can become overactive in thinking on these these things.

It can be so difficult to quiet our mind when we have days that are filled from the time we wake up to the time we got to bed. In many ways, modern technology keeps us going at a pace that is in conflict with the frequency of the human body. Yet, if we stopped right now, we would worry just how we would accomplish every thing that was expected of us. Is this the way we truly desire to live life where our beginnings to our day meet the ends of our day?

I'm not going to say it is easy to stop and take ourselves out of our busy lives. It is definitely a challenge. However, we have to consider what is important in our day. What things do we wish to spend our time with during the day? What things matter to us and have the greatest importance? Sure, there are things that we must do to function in life, but if they are our sole focus, than we will be like a dog chasing its tail.

What if we made a commitment with ourselves that we would spend 5 minutes each morning in silent meditation? We could focus on our breath as we allow our mind and body to connect. A quiet place to do this is helpful and best but it can also be done in just about any place. Just focus on giving yourself this time, and block out the noise, chaos and clutter around you. Let your mind be in that moment without giving yourself any input. Let yourself be in the silence of the moment complete with all the sounds happening around you.

Just 5 minutes a day can do many things for the mind, body and spirit. If you have more time available, you may see a greater reward but the important point is just to give yourself this moment. Try not to make the act of doing silent meditation so great that it overwhelms you to the point where it does not happen. Let it flow and happen as you see fit and as you feel is appropriate for you in your life at that moment.

Allow yourself to just be in the moment without concern for what you need to accomplish. Those things will fill your day easily enough. Give yourself this moment to refresh and renew your life's energy. See just how the 5 minute act of silent meditation affects your day and your life.



*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog