How To Build Breathing Space Into Your Life
The one thing that most of us crave is space.
The underlying feeling associated with the craving is freedom.
The opposite of freedom is weighed down, held back, anchored.
The opposite of space is cramped.
When you want to simplify your home, the underlying goal is to create space and therefore freedom.
The same goes with simplifying your time.
And your money.
Unraveling from complicated so breath can return along with ease and flow.
While I can wax poetically about freedom and space all day long, let’s talk about some specifics.
How to build breathing space into your life
warning: some will require more drastic changes
Cancel your television subscriptions
Turn off the TV. Plain and simple. Ditch the Netflix, the Hulus, the Prime Sticks, all of it.
Watch as time expands when you do.
Listen to classical and jazz music
Have you read the lyrics of popular music songs lately?
Soothe your soul with instrumental music.
Turn off the phone
From Friday evening to Monday morning go phone free. Leave it turned off in a drawer.
Watch as time expands.
If all weekend feels too cumbersome, then try Sunday.
Only read one book at a time
There is a tendency to buy up loads of books that you want to read. But remember, we only have one set of eyes, one brain, and the same amount of time in each day.
Keep a running list of books you would like to read (on a phone, in Evernote, or in Amazon), but commit to only reading one at a time.
Delete social media from your phone
If you want to check in, then do so from a laptop.
No more filing time with scrolls of the screen.
Watch your anxiety melt away.
Delete email from your phone
There is a time and place for everything. All day is not the time and the phone is not the place for email.
Meditate
Each morning spend 10 - 15 minutes meditating. Outside, in a chair, in the bathtub, whatever works for you.
My preference is to meditate outdoors and focus on the sounds of nature.
My second choice is to meditate to music via the Insight app (free).
Get outside
Move your body in the way that you prefer.
Maybe it is a walk with the dog or buddy time on the greenway.
Maybe it’s just sitting under a tree and watching the sun dance behind the leaves.
Maybe its a run around the neighborhood or a friendly game of tennis.
Nature calms us down
Sell your iWatch or Fitbit
It is like having a slot machine on your wrist. Constant pings and dings distracting you from a current conversation, or a delicious meal, or a fantastic nap.
Sell them. Watch as time expands.
Create something
Draw
Color
Write
Vision Board
Whatever creativity looks like to you - do it.
Unsubscribe
From promo emails that no longer apply to you
From blog emails that you don’t read anymore
Unfollow / Unfriend
Anyone or anything that doesn’t make you feel amazing should be re-evaluated
This goes for real life and for fake online life
Clear the clutter
Leave a comment below telling me which one (or two) things you are committing to in order to create more breathing room in your life!