For many of us, life seems to dash by at breakneck speed. Like a game character jumping through hoops, solving ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/innergycorporateyoga.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_6974.jpg\")
puzzles and facing challenges, it can sometimes feel as if we are being propelled forward with little agency or control, thoughtlessly rushing from one thing to the next; then realizing that months have disappeared and we\u2019re not entirely sure what we\u2019ve done with them. Luckily, however, we don\u2019t have to rely on someone else to press pause and give us some much-needed breathing space \u2013 we can do it ourselves.<\/p>\n
These are just a few of the ways we can empower ourselves to put everyday life on hiatus, and enjoy a moment or two that\u2019s entirely our own.<\/p>\n
Meditate at least once a day<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Meditation has an extraordinary number of benefits, and is recommended for everything from alleviating anxiety to improving our creativity. A hugely important yet often overlooked benefit, however, is that at the most basic level it gives us some time to ourselves. By committing to 25 minutes where we simply aren\u2019t allowed to take phone calls, sort out lunch for our kids, get stressed reading the news or scroll through emails, we are giving ourselves much needed \u201ctime out.\u201d<\/p>\n While benefits like reduced anxiety and improved performance are key to a meditation practice, it also gives us the discipline to not constantly engage with whatever flighty worry our brain throws at us. And what\u2019s more, it teaches us that it doesn\u2019t matter how urgent something seems or how busy we think we are, there\u2019s always time to take a breath and withdraw from everyday cares \u2013 which is an extremely powerful lesson.<\/p>\n Plan periods of rest <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In the past and in many cultures, a \u201cday of rest\u201d was codified in religious law. While this can still be surprisingly strict in small pockets of society (for example in traditional Jewish communities), somewhere along the line the idea of setting aside a day to rest was lost to the majority of us. Work takes up a huge amount of our time, and once that\u2019s finished, we have everything else to contend with. The result is that it can be surprisingly difficult to slow down, because there\u2019s always another chore, commitment or social engagement to attend to.<\/p>\n The best place to start is to plan periods of rest \u2013 even if it means putting them in your diary a week in advance, and deliberately turning down invitations or obligations during that time. You may have to call in support to make this possible, but there\u2019s nothing wrong with asking for help. For example, if you plan to rest on a Monday afternoon, you may arrange for a family member or partner to take on the responsibility of picking up the kids from school on that day, and return the favor another time.<\/p>\n You also have to be strict with yourself, to make sure you don\u2019t find yourself thinking \u201coh, I\u2019ll just sort out a couple of things on my to-do list.\u201d If you find it difficult to switch off, try leaving the house and going somewhere you find relaxing, like the beach or cinema; or commit the time to a restful task you really enjoy. You might love cooking, and could spend that Monday afternoon leisurely preparing an elaborate meal. Or perhaps you could spend the time journaling, walking or painting \u2013 as long as it\u2019s something you love, but don\u2019t usually get enough time for.<\/p>\n