Do You Have 4 Minutes?

Career & Work Life Matters ISSN 2150-6299 Vol 1, no. 2. 2009, July 31

What’s Enough?

“How do I know if I’m doing enough?” This is one of the questions clients often ask me as they work on the changes they want to make in their lives.  Maybe you resonate with the experience of one client who said “I always feel as if I should be doing more.”

The reality is that, more often than not, there is always more to do. But will doing more move you forward in the direction you want to go? Sometimes just trying to do more gets in in the way of progress.

You try to keep juggling everything.  As you jump from one thing to another, your anxiety grows and you feel more and more overwhelmed.

It’s harder to focus on anything. You feel exhausted. At the end of your day you wonder where your motivation has gone.

Do You Have Four Minutes?

Instead of wondering about what other activities you should be doing, try something different. For the next week or two, take a few minutes each day to practice relaxation. Then ask the question, “What are the one or two things I can do next”?  Notice any changes during this time.

You may think, “I don’t have time to relax”. If you’d like some support, try this 4 minute relaxation, led by Dr James Gordon, Director of the Center for Mind Body Medicine.  This is one of my favorites because it’s so easy. I have trained with Dr Gordon, and he and his team teach this and other relaxation exercises to thousands of people all over the world. These simple techniques have made a difference to the lives of individuals in all kinds of stressful situations.

All you need to do is to take 4 minutes right at your desk, put on your earphones, listen, and follow the instructions.  It’s a proven technique and simple to learn. You can do it anywhere and at any time.

Give Yourself the Gift of Four Minutes

The busier we are the more we need to find ways to relax. You don’t have to wait until things “settle down”. Try it out, and notice what happens. Let me know by adding your comment below or by dropping a line.

Focusing your efforts involves making choices. Taking a few minutes to practice relaxation can help with these choices. Check back for more about this topic next time.

Do you have other ways to “take a few minutes” that you would like to share? Feel free to post below.