From the minute we wake up it’s noisy. It might be the television, radio or phone we turn on to catch the latest news. It might be a daughter or husband wanting our attention, wanting lunch to be packed or wanting to hurry to catch the train to work. It doesn’t stop all day. It just keeps coming and coming.
We get used to it, the increasing pace and volume of information coming at us. And, we just think ‘that’s the way it is’ If we stop to think about it, what it is doing to us, usually our answer is not positive. “I feel drained. I am anxious. I am so tired. I can’t keep up. If only I had a few more hours in the day.” Sound familiar?
Want some relief? First, become aware of what all the noise, all the news flashes across a screen are doing to your nervous system and psyche. A friend of mine told me she waits an hour after she wakes up before looking at her phone. That’s a start. Another friend takes 15 minutes in the morning, out of bed and onto the floor for stretching exercises. And that’s before coffee!
I have found five to ten minutes of Tai Chi helps me immensely in the morning. I get my energy moving through the relaxed, slow moves of my form and start the day with some stillness. I think better, don’t rush around and best of all, start the day with some focus.
Just a few minutes of creating silence can make a huge difference in your day. What do you do when you wake up? What do you do to silence the noise for a few minutes?