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experiencelifemag.com
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So Little Time
How to identify and remedy the stress caused by chronic overscheduling and
time poverty.
By Jon Spayde |
December 2008 |
Stress Source
Barriers to Overcome
How to Cope
Stress Solver
The Breathing Box
It’s an all-too-familiar feeling: the racing brain, the tight stomach that says
we’ll never get everything done. “There aren’t enough hours in
the day” we cry, and then we watch, helplessly, as more commitments appear on
our schedule. Stephan Rechtschaffen, MD, cofounder of the Omega Institute for
Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, N.Y., and author of Time Shifting (Doubleday,
1996), suggests that time anxiety isn’t just one stress among many. “Most of the
stress that people feel in any area of their lives is rooted in the feeling of
not having enough time,” he says. The solution? Dwelling in the present moment,
where, surprisingly enough, there’s always plenty of time.
Stress Source
Relentless time pressures
The feeling that we don’t have enough time to do everything we should
— combined with a lack of comfort about doing less, and a lack of
knowledge
about how to create a sense of peace in the present moment.
Barriers to Overcome
The idea that time stress is normal: Society and the media help “normalize” the
idea that modern life has to be crazily busy. Rechtschaffen says we’re taught
that “the only way to get ahead is by pressing our foot on the
accelerator.” The need for stuff. There’s a direct link between our
“always-more” lifestyles and our expanding, time-eating to-do lists. “We have to
have that big TV, those multiple phones,” Rechtschaffen says. “We overschedule
ourselves to make the money to support our standard of living.” (For more on
this stress-spend cycle, see the Web-exclusive article “The Wanting Mind” in this issue.) Dissatisfaction with
where and who we are. “Many of us feel a push to be elsewhere, to do something
else,” says Rechtschaffen. “We feel that we haven’t accomplished enough in our
lives.” Future-obsessed. Worrying about what’s coming keeps us out of
the present moment and in the time trap, Rechtschaffen says. “Anxiety is stress
related to the future. What’s coming up might not be good — and it’s right
around the corner.”
How to Cope
Reject the need to rush. “The stress is not in the to-do list,
it’s in our reaction to the to-do list,” says Rechtschaffen. “We need to
acknowledge that we are creating time stress internally.” Make friends with
the present moment. “Really dwelling in the present moment requires us to accept
how we are feeling in that moment. We may be fearful that we won’t complete our
list of tasks. But if we really accept that fear, in the moment, there will be
no stress. Stress comes only when we fight the fear.” Focus on the task.
When a great basketball player has to make a game-winning shot, he or she is
likely to be totally relaxed, totally focused on the job,” says Rechtschaffen.
“There’s nowhere else the player wants to be, no other moment except right now.”
Learn to time-shift. The title of Rechtschaffen’s book refers to the
practice of shifting in time the way we shift gears on a bicycle.
“We have to
be open to the rhythms of different situations and different people,” he
explains. “Knowing when to be speedy — when an urgent situation requires it —
and when to downshift to a slower rhythm, say to talk to a friend or a child,
will give us a sense of ‘enough time’ if we practice it.” Rest and recharge.
“One of the most successful consultants I know takes time for a regular walk
around the lake,” says Rechtschaffen. “Allowing ourselves to really relax is
what helps us handle tasks when we have to.”
Stress Solver
The Internal Martial Art
Tai chi practice can help you learn how to stay rooted in the present
moment. Tai chi is what the Chinese call an “internal martial art.” Its routines look
like slow-motion kung fu, but its purpose is to make you a meditator rather than
a fighter; you focus on your internal self, not an external opponent, as you
move smoothly and mindfully through set patterns. Increasingly popular in the
West, the discipline is intended to make you deeply aware of your mind and body
and to bring balance and health to everyday life. In fact, Twin Cities–based
Natural Step School of Tai Chi founder Colin Snow calls it a method for
self-healing through the practice of “meditation in movement.” Origin: The oldest documented tradition of tai chi, the Chen family style,
dates back to around 1640, but the major philosophy it embodies — that all
things in the universe, including the body, express a dynamic balance between
the active, male principle (yang) and the yielding, female principle (yin) —
is about 2,400 years old. Benefits: “In tai chi, we connect to the body’s inherent wisdom, the most
profound medicine: its ability to heal itself,” says Snow. It deepens the breath
and expands lung capacity, increases the dispersal of oxygenated blood,
facilitates the flow of Qi (“chee”) energy, strengthens the immune system, and
improves skeletal alignment. But tai chi’s most immediate benefit is meditative:
“We’re addicted to this idea that exercise has to be challenging,” he adds. “Tai
chi stands that concept on its head. By revealing to us the way of inner peace,
it reunites mind, body and spirit, keeping us present in the moment to live our
lives authentically instead of merely struggling through.” Simple Steps: Beginning tai chi training consists of learning specific,
simple body postures and practicing smooth transitions from one to the next.
“But we are also embracing the spiritual path of tai chi through the four
fundamental principles,” says Snow. “The first we call ‘rooting’: rooting our
awareness in the physical self, the separation between mind and body narrows and
consciousness expands into the present moment.” The principle of “sticking” is
mental. As Snow puts it, “we learn to truly listen and recognize the silent
witness within, which releases the mind from reactivity, judgment, the desire to
control life, things, people.” “Yielding” is allowance, both a physical and
mental openness that flows from the heart. This spirit of enjoyment guides us to
personal freedom and spontaneous, authentic living. And the fourth principle
is “what arises out of the other three: action out of nonaction, or what the
Chinese call ‘wu-wei’.” It’s a way of being in the world in which everything we
do feels simple, natural and unforced, because ultimately we have come full
circle and are once more aligned in the Tao of life.” Jon Spayde is a St. Paul, Minn.–based writer and editor.
The Breathing Box
(Sounds True, $26.95) Feeling anxious about your packed
to-do list? Just breathe. In this transformative kit, psychologist and
best-selling author Gay Hendricks, PhD, unveils a four-week course in how we can
transform the way we breathe in just 10 minutes a day. Hendricks, who thinks of
breathing as a healing art, says healthy breathing can not only help us decrease
stress, it can also boost our energy levels, expand our consciousness and help
us recover from emotional trauma. “We breathe 20,000 times a day,” Hendricks
says. “That means we have 20,000 opportunities to feel better every day.” The
kit includes a CD, DVD and study guide that offer tips and techniques on better
breathing. — STAFF
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So Little Time
How to identify and remedy the stress caused by chronic overscheduling and
time poverty.
By Jon Spayde | Renewal Department,
December 2008 |
Stress Source
Barriers to Overcome
How to Cope
Stress Solver
The Breathing Box
It’s an all-too-familiar feeling: the racing brain, the tight stomach that says
we’ll never get everything done. “There aren’t enough hours in
the day” we cry, and then we watch, helplessly, as more commitments appear on
our schedule. Stephan Rechtschaffen, MD, cofounder of the Omega Institute for
Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, N.Y., and author of Time Shifting (Doubleday,
1996), suggests that time anxiety isn’t just one stress among many. “Most of the
stress that people feel in any area of their lives is rooted in the feeling of
not having enough time,” he says. The solution? Dwelling in the present moment,
where, surprisingly enough, there’s always plenty of time.
Stress Source (Back to Top)
Relentless time pressures
The feeling that we don’t have enough time to do everything we should
— combined with a lack of comfort about doing less, and a lack of
knowledge
about how to create a sense of peace in the present moment.
Barriers to Overcome (Back to Top)
The idea that time stress is normal: Society and the media help “normalize” the
idea that modern life has to be crazily busy. Rechtschaffen says we’re taught
that “the only way to get ahead is by pressing our foot on the
accelerator.” The need for stuff. There’s a direct link between our
“always-more” lifestyles and our expanding, time-eating to-do lists. “We have to
have that big TV, those multiple phones,” Rechtschaffen says. “We overschedule
ourselves to make the money to support our standard of living.” (For more on
this stress-spend cycle, see the Web-exclusive article “The Wanting Mind” in this issue.) Dissatisfaction with
where and who we are. “Many of us feel a push to be elsewhere, to do something
else,” says Rechtschaffen. “We feel that we haven’t accomplished enough in our
lives.” Future-obsessed. Worrying about what’s coming keeps us out of
the present moment and in the time trap, Rechtschaffen says. “Anxiety is stress
related to the future. What’s coming up might not be good — and it’s right
around the corner.”
How to Cope (Back to Top)
Reject the need to rush. “The stress is not in the to-do list,
it’s in our reaction to the to-do list,” says Rechtschaffen. “We need to
acknowledge that we are creating time stress internally.” Make friends with
the present moment. “Really dwelling in the present moment requires us to accept
how we are feeling in that moment. We may be fearful that we won’t complete our
list of tasks. But if we really accept that fear, in the moment, there will be
no stress. Stress comes only when we fight the fear.” Focus on the task.
When a great basketball player has to make a game-winning shot, he or she is
likely to be totally relaxed, totally focused on the job,” says Rechtschaffen.
“There’s nowhere else the player wants to be, no other moment except right now.”
Learn to time-shift. The title of Rechtschaffen’s book refers to the
practice of shifting in time the way we shift gears on a bicycle.
“We have to
be open to the rhythms of different situations and different people,” he
explains. “Knowing when to be speedy — when an urgent situation requires it —
and when to downshift to a slower rhythm, say to talk to a friend or a child,
will give us a sense of ‘enough time’ if we practice it.” Rest and recharge.
“One of the most successful consultants I know takes time for a regular walk
around the lake,” says Rechtschaffen. “Allowing ourselves to really relax is
what helps us handle tasks when we have to.”
Stress Solver (Back to Top)
The Internal Martial Art
Tai chi practice can help you learn how to stay rooted in the present
moment. Tai chi is what the Chinese call an “internal martial art.” Its routines look
like slow-motion kung fu, but its purpose is to make you a meditator rather than
a fighter; you focus on your internal self, not an external opponent, as you
move smoothly and mindfully through set patterns. Increasingly popular in the
West, the discipline is intended to make you deeply aware of your mind and body
and to bring balance and health to everyday life. In fact, Twin Cities–based
Natural Step School of Tai Chi founder Colin Snow calls it a method for
self-healing through the practice of “meditation in movement.” Origin: The oldest documented tradition of tai chi, the Chen family style,
dates back to around 1640, but the major philosophy it embodies — that all
things in the universe, including the body, express a dynamic balance between
the active, male principle (yang) and the yielding, female principle (yin) —
is about 2,400 years old. Benefits: “In tai chi, we connect to the body’s inherent wisdom, the most
profound medicine: its ability to heal itself,” says Snow. It deepens the breath
and expands lung capacity, increases the dispersal of oxygenated blood,
facilitates the flow of Qi (“chee”) energy, strengthens the immune system, and
improves skeletal alignment. But tai chi’s most immediate benefit is meditative:
“We’re addicted to this idea that exercise has to be challenging,” he adds. “Tai
chi stands that concept on its head. By revealing to us the way of inner peace,
it reunites mind, body and spirit, keeping us present in the moment to live our
lives authentically instead of merely struggling through.” Simple Steps: Beginning tai chi training consists of learning specific,
simple body postures and practicing smooth transitions from one to the next.
“But we are also embracing the spiritual path of tai chi through the four
fundamental principles,” says Snow. “The first we call ‘rooting’: rooting our
awareness in the physical self, the separation between mind and body narrows and
consciousness expands into the present moment.” The principle of “sticking” is
mental. As Snow puts it, “we learn to truly listen and recognize the silent
witness within, which releases the mind from reactivity, judgment, the desire to
control life, things, people.” “Yielding” is allowance, both a physical and
mental openness that flows from the heart. This spirit of enjoyment guides us to
personal freedom and spontaneous, authentic living. And the fourth principle
is “what arises out of the other three: action out of nonaction, or what the
Chinese call ‘wu-wei’.” It’s a way of being in the world in which everything we
do feels simple, natural and unforced, because ultimately we have come full
circle and are once more aligned in the Tao of life.” Jon Spayde is a St. Paul, Minn.–based writer and editor.
The Breathing Box (Back to Top)
(Sounds True, $26.95) Feeling anxious about your packed
to-do list? Just breathe. In this transformative kit, psychologist and
best-selling author Gay Hendricks, PhD, unveils a four-week course in how we can
transform the way we breathe in just 10 minutes a day. Hendricks, who thinks of
breathing as a healing art, says healthy breathing can not only help us decrease
stress, it can also boost our energy levels, expand our consciousness and help
us recover from emotional trauma. “We breathe 20,000 times a day,” Hendricks
says. “That means we have 20,000 opportunities to feel better every day.” The
kit includes a CD, DVD and study guide that offer tips and techniques on better
breathing. — STAFF
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