Protect Your Peace
My goodness… Now more than ever, it seems as though one has to go out of their way to protect their peace. I know it sounds cliche, but in so many ways, it’s true. After recently wrapping a series of mental health talks, the number one theme that emerged were people experiencing a chronic sense of overwhelm.
They described their days as intense with back to back meetings, a constant flow of emails, demanding timelines and financial pressures. In between, they admitted to checking their social media and almost immediately feeling flooded with all that is happening in the world. On their way home from work, the noise continues as they catch up on their favourite podcasts or the news. By the time they got home, they described feeling fried.
And it makes perfect sense. There hasn’t been one moment for people to catch their breath. Not one moment to ground themselves. We’re wrapped up in the chaos and busy-ness and we’re losing our ability to slow down and regulate ourselves after a long, hard day.
The truth is that sometimes, long, hard days are normal. However, what’s not normal is the challenge to disconnect. To live a full, vibrant life outside the screen. To accomplish this, one has to break up with our addiction to busy-ness and while that breakup can be painful, it is life changing.
We have to harness our self-discipline. To go for a half hour walk in complete silence; no podcast, no music, no distractions. To spend time cooking without news, but rather, some of your favourite music playing in the background. To be in the company of friends and family without any digital devices present.
Friends - we need to schedule time to be disconnect. So many of us live busy lives and that’s just the reality. However, in order to make such a lifestyle sustainable, we have to be deliberate in taking time to ground ourselves. Schedule activities that we know refuel us, ideally that do not involve screens. Remember - real life happens behind the screen. So, please be sure you are intentional in showing up in your real life and being fully present, fully invested in the disconnection so that you may truly connect. With your friends, with your family, with yourself. This practice will work wonders for restoring your relationship with others, relationship with self, physical health and emotional wellness.