I was at the kitchen counter, preparing a salad for dinner, and my son was joining my husband and me for dinner that evening. As I was in the throes of slicing, peeling and chopping, I found my mind running a mile a minute, jumping ahead to a million unfinished tasks — not just for dinner, but for my business, for an upcoming vacation (care for all our pets, etc) for other family matters. My head was overflowing with To-Do lists.
My thoughts felt jumbled, and I could feel my heart knotting and twisting in my chest with a sense of unrest. “Slow down.” I heard a little, yet strong voice speaking in my head. “Pay attention to what you’re doing right now.”
I often write about living in the moment and how it is so essential to having a sense of harmony in one’s life. But there I was, blatantly guilty of fragmented, ultra-busy thought projections about the future. And the feeling of unease and tension was physically manifesting as that tightness in my chest.
I used to enjoy cooking and meal prep much more when I was younger, but find I am not as patient now. However, I do happen to enjoy making salads. It took that little insistent voice of my inner guidance to smack me back into the grasp of the present moment. It was like I figuratively came back to earth, as the surreal and stressful flow of my thoughts stilled. I inhaled a very deep, cleansing breath and exhaled a whoosh of toxic tension as I breathed out.
“You like making a salad,” the voice reminded me, “and it’s healthy, and you like to make it look visually pleasing.” Once I was able to focus again, I clearly felt my heart center calm down and relax.
The fragmented moments that I experienced at the kitchen counter are “counter-productive” (pun intended) to one’s overall well-being. Research has shown that living in the moment enhances one’s sense of joy and balance, and certainly beats the anxiety of a discordant mind-all-over-the-place-with-worry type of existence. Common sense tells us this as well. Which way would YOU rather feel?
Try to monitor your balance of thoughts. If you catch yourself in too many situations of being mentally elsewhere in a tense way, you may want to try to do the inner work to bring yourself into the empowering place of “the now.”
One quick way to decompress and center yourself is to do what I did — take a few slow, deep breaths. Bring your attention fully to your breath, even a few moments can be beneficial. If you resonate with the idea of grounding, imagine that, like a great and sturdy tree, you have roots growing out of the base of your spine and the soles of your feet, roots that extend all the way down into the Earth’s core, connecting you securely to powerful Earth energy. Think stability and balance.
Be open to listening to your inner guidance system (we all do have one.) And if you, too, hear that clear voice advising you to slow down — take heed, because it will definitely be for your own benefit. Connect to the energy of each moment and experience each second as real, vital and tangible. You will be more peaceful and happier for it!
Affirmations:
- I appreciate the vitality and beauty of each moment.
- I feel centered, balanced and at peace with the world that surrounds me.
- Slowing down my thoughts and breathing deeply, helps me focus on the present moment.
