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HEALTH Feel Trapped On The Work Treadmill? Unwind. Be In The Moment. Here's How ...  By Paul StrikwerdaVoice Actor Do you know the First Law of Ecology? Everything's connected to everything else. As I was leaving the gym recently, I had to think about the connection between the world of weights and treadmills inside, and the world outside. To me, there isn't much of a difference.
It's all about sweat, commitment and endurance. Every time I leave the
fitness center, I feel lighter, stronger and more alive.
Working out is working out for me!
Some of my colleagues aren't feeling it. Even though they don't exercise, they sound like they're trapped on a treadmill
carrying a heavy weight on their shoulders. TRAPPED IN THE RAT RACE No matter what happens,
they feel they have to keep on running the rat race.
These
are people who live in constant fear that's manifesting itself in many
ways:
Why?
Well,
you never know, you know. Going to that remote B&B for some R&R might cost you clients. And once they're gone, they'll never
come back, and that's a fact. GIVE ME A BREAK Don't build your career on fear.
Build a career on balance.
Even God rested on the seventh day, so why would it be unwise to unwind and leave your work behind? Do you have boundary issues, perhaps?
When it comes to vacation, I don't compromise. It's not a luxury. It's a necessity. That's why I unplug. And every time I go to the gym, it feels like a mini-vacation.
While I exercise, I completely
disconnect from the rest of the world. I'm not thinking about what
happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. Those are mind games
anyway. LIVE IN THE MOMENT I do everything I can to leave my troubles and triumphs at the door and be in the moment.
You should try it. I dare you. It's wonderful. It's therapeutic. Psychologists call being in the moment an "associated state" as opposed to a "dissociated state." Being associated means being absorbed by and immersed in the present. It's a state of deep and often joyous focus. Hungarian psychology professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, describes it as
the merging of action and awareness while we narrow our field of attention. In this state of mind, something
funny happens. Our sense of time is completely distorted. Some people
will even tell you that time stands still. NOT IN THE MOMENT Being dissociated is the opposite.
Instead of being in the moment, dissociated people distance themselves
from it.
"Not now," says the mother to her attention-seeking child as she stares at her smartphone. It's hard to focus and enjoy what
we're doing when we're dissociated. When the appetizer is served, we
think about the main course. When we're eating our entré, we wonder
about what's on the dessert tray. And time is always ticking. MEANING IS IN THE CONTEXT Of course, no one is completely
associated or dissociated in every situation all the time. Being
associated is not necessarily better either. It depends on the context.
Sometimes it is beneficial to be an uninvolved, unmoved observer. In
order to analyze a situation, it can be necessary to set feelings aside. Emergency room
doctors have to distance themselves from the emotional turmoil in order
to do what they need to do. A funeral director can't be overcome by
grief every time he lays someone to rest. A therapist can't be a
patient's best friend in order to be effective. A war photographer uses
the lens of his camera to deal with the horrors of the battlefield. At other times, it is essential to be associated. BALANCE YOUR LIFE
No matter how much we might love our
work, I happen to believe that it is healthy to step away and
dissociate ourselves from our professional activities if we wish to lead
a balanced life. Clients come and go, but family and
friends will always be there and they deserve our full attention.
Otherwise you might end up like Steve Jobs. One of the reasons he asked
Walter Isaacson to write his biography was, Isaacson wrote in Time magazine, "I wanted my kids to know me." You might be a brilliant individual, but to me that's a rather sad statement, don't you think?
"Do you want to know what your father was like? Why don't you read the book? I heard it was so good, they're going to turn it into a movie!" That's no way to go, so here's what I suggest you do. BE KIND - UNWIND Spend time with the people you love, and when you do, be in the moment.
Give them your full attention. Look them in the eye. Truly listen. Hug
them (if that's your kind of thing). Tell them how much you appreciate
them. Resist the temptation to take out that iPhone and check messages every single hour of the day. Believe me, life will go on. Get away from your familiar
environment. If you stay home, you'll be back at your computer before
you know it. Distance creates distance. HELP YOURSELF And don't just do it for others. Do it for yourself.
If you don't take care of this house
you live in you call your body, one day it will push the alarm button
and make you pay attention. When that happens, it usually ain't pretty. And since this is the only house you have, you better take good care of
it. That's one of the reasons I work out. Take time to recharge your batteries
and inspire others. Distance yourself from work and get closer to
nature and to those who are dear to you. Don't tell me: "I'll start tomorrow." You know how that goes. Every day is yesterday's tomorrow.
Today is just perfect! Create new memories and associations. When you start to make heartfelt changes in one area of your life, things in other areas will begin to change as well.
That's just the way it works. Whether you realize it or not, everything's connected to everything else. --------------------- ABOUT PAUL Paul Strikwerda is a 25-year veteran of the voice over industry whose Nethervoice
service features German and Dutch voice overs, translation and
evaluation services. Born in Holland, he has worked for Dutch national
and international radio, the BBC and American Public Radio. Although 90%
of his work is in English, Strikwerda also records in Dutch, German and
French. Clients include Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, and the
Discovery Channel. He also publishes an informative and entertaining
blog, Double Dutch. Email: paul@nethervoice.com Web: www.nethervoice.comDouble Dutch Blog: www.nethervoice.com/nethervoice |
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This past Labor Day weekend, I took a trip to visit friends in the local mountains and couldn't log onto my email from their home computer; try as I might, it didn't happen. The result? I had a great 4 days off. Yes, I had my cell phone (not a smart phone) and the world was still to get in touch with me, but for the most part, I was "away from the office" and I survived, although that wasn't my first thought when "reality" hit.
Having passed the 4 day test, I look forward, albeit with some trepidation, to being 3 weeks "away" while out of the country entirely. I just might have to make a copy of your article to take with me to meditate upon, and just breathe. Ever a work in progress.
Thank you!
Hugs are definitely my thing and I'm sending one to you :)