Scream if you wanna go faster
We're an impatient bunch aren't we.
We like things to be fast. Fast growth, fast turnover, fast ROI.
When things are fast, because we are so wrapped up in the doing, keeping our heads above water, the excitement of the building, we take our eye off the engine that powers us, only to finally pay attention when the damage is done.
Thats you burnout.
This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to look after all parts of ourselves, not only so that our bosses, companies and teams get the best from us, but so that we can thrive in ourselves too.
I have spent many years of my career working in fast growth companies, and all the fun that that brings. Which makes me empathetic to and passionate about identifying the causes of stress, anxiety and resistance for individuals and teams.
The best breakthroughs and "aha" moments I have seen, is when folks take a second to really look at and acknowledge what their minds and bodies are telling them, become intentional and readjust, and prepare a toolbox of practises for when times get challenging.
It’s good for us to slow down. Our bodies need us to as it allows us to access deliberate and conscious decision making, helps us mitigate and manage sensory overload, and triggers the parasympathetic nervous system so we can recover enough to go again.
So even though it feels good to go fast, make sure you’re also making time to go slow.
Photo by Claire Satera on Unsplash
Mind Doughnut
Here's a practice to quickly drop into the body to slow down. Particularly good if you’re having a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants day, if you need to make a decision about something, or if you’re in fight or flight.
☁️ Get as comfy as you can wherever you are
☁️ If it’s ok to do so, close your eyes, sit back, relax your shoulders
☁️ Notice all the sounds you can hear in the distance, maybe it’s traffic on the street, birds tweeting, gentle murmuring of voices (or shouting depending on where you live like my ends!)
☁️ Now bring your awareness closer to the sounds inside in the room you’re in - maybe the rumbling of a radiator, or the hum of appliances, the drop of a tap
☁️ Gently move your attention to the sounds in your internal world now, maybe that’s your stomach grumbling, your breath, or even your heartbeat.
☁️ Next, notice your thoughts - there may be many, they may be rapid, they may be noisy. Each one allow it to be there, thank it, let it move on.
☁️ Notice the millisecond of space that’s left there when it moves on, the stillness, the quietness. When the next thought comes, do the same, and the next and the next.
☁️ Let the quietness be the only thing.
☁️There’s a whole world inside you to be listened to, attended, nourished.
☁️ Start to allow the sounds from inside your body be heard, inside the room, outside the building, take some big belly breaths, stretch, yawn, and move on with your day.
