If you are a driven, competitive, and impatient person. You always feeling pressured by a standard that you have set for yourself. The pressure comes from your need to achieve, to accomplish and to complete tasks with the highest standards. You have high standards for yourself and those around you.
You are the one who knows the latest research and trends before most in your professional circles. You know what is going on in the world because you read, listen and seek out intellectual stimulation. You are thinking, planning, and projecting your energy into the future feeling unsatisfied with the status quo of your life.
You ask; why can’t others do the same?
You are viewed as aggressive, confrontational, and condescending. You are rarely invited to the social event of the year, but you are often called upon to solve problems or deal with situations no one else wants to handle. Few think you need support and many await your failure.
You push yourself, testing your personal limits. You feel anxious, stressed and tired. Your head, muscles, and joints hurt. You strain your back just by turning in your seat. Your heart aches and chest feels tight more often than not.
It seems as if your brain never stops thinking. When you finally go to bed, your mind reviews what you have and have not completed that day. It reminds you of the tasks you need to accomplish tomorrow. You mentally practice for the meeting that takes place in a few days. You review the “who, what, when, where, how and why” of every detail. Frustrated, you grab your phone and begin to respond to emails. When you are done, you turn to your Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn accounts. A glass of wine or a drink before bed sometimes helps, but you know that drinking will not solve your problem.
There is a label for people like you, but we will not use it here.
You are tired and you want a solution that will help you to release stress, wake up well rested and calm your mind.
Mindfulness is a term that has caught on like wildfire. Companies are promoting the act of mindfulness to employees in high stress positions. Mindfulness is paying attention in the present moment on purpose without judgment. I shared the following examples with one of my clients.
When a butterfly comes into view, the natural response is to say “look there is a butterfly.” The person stops what they are doing and spends a few moments watching the butterfly flit around. Some will watch until the butterfly is no longer in view.
Imagine seeing a rainbow. The natural response is to say “look at the rainbow.” Most people will look at the rainbow, simply enjoying the colors, the brilliance, or the size. Others will watch until the rainbow is no longer visible.
These scenarios are examples of mindfulness in its simplest form. For a brief moment one’s full attention is intentionally focused on a specific item. There is no problem-solving, critiquing or over-thinking. It is being present, savoring the moment.
How many moments during the day do you savor? How restful is your sleep?
Last month I introduced the free Happy People Sleep Well 7 Day Challenge sharing strategies, we believe when used together help you to go to sleep in30 minutes or less. These strategies are based on mindfulness principals. The Happy People Sleep Well 7 Day Challenge is still available and you are welcome to join the growing number of people who are enjoying a restful night’s sleep.
To learn more about the free Happy People Sleep Well 7 Day Challenge read the blog post entitled Join the Happy People Sleep Well 7 Day Challenge.
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Download your free copy of Stress is Personal: Your Personal Starter Guide to Stress Relief. This 36 page guide contains easy to use tips to lower your stress level. Read real life scenarios to learn how people similar to you got through it. The print version is also available through MagCloud Publishing.
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