Is your Volcano about to Erupt?
A Director of an organisation recently shared with me the analogy of a volcano (that she heard from a Teacher), when you just reach breaking point, you explode. It was a Teacher who helped her students draw a volcano, to identify that the baseline of the volcano can be very high and that is when it is about to erupt. All the frustration, anger and rage can come out of you. The teacher said to her students, it is important to know where your baseline is and also to tell your family and friends to help them understand you better.
I think we can all relate to this. Where is your baseline at the moment? Is it really high? Or are you doing okay? First is to become aware of your baseline and if required, share it with your loved ones to let them know where you are at.
My baseline was very high last week, and I put a lot of effort in asking myself these questions:
- What is going on for me?
- Why am I stressed?
- What is bothering me?
It takes a lot of self-awareness and self-reflection to ask yourself questions and identify what is bothering you. And then you need to implement practical strategies that can bring your baseline down.
I truly believe, if you “Master your Mind, Master your Life.”
We know that sleep, exercise and eating well are all key requirements for having a fit and healthy life. We nourish our bodies with good food and exercise. People pay for gym memberships and group fitness classes. How many of us nourish our minds? How many of us really spend time with ourselves to take care of our mind?
If you look around you and think about the people you admire, e.g. true leaders, their mindset is sharp and sophisticated. Do you want to master your mind and be in control of your life?
Right now, more important than ever, I strongly recommend you prioritise 1 min, 5 min, 8 min aside each day for some basic mind training to take care of your mind. It can simply be playing your favourite song and connecting with how you think and feel. Be with yourself and nourish the mind.
Here are some resources for you to help you manage your mind, time and energy. If you are in a lockdown, stay strong, we are in this journey together. Take one day at a time, one step at a time.
Resources:
Cultivate beginner’s mind.
(There are a few references to yoga practices)
https://chopra.com/articles/8-tips-for-cultivating-a-beginners-mind
Do Less – Kate Northrup – Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms
I highly recommend this book, I used many of these ideas for the recent webinar I delivered on Time & Energy Management (over 60 people attended).
Pomodoro Technique
https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique
This may work for some people, and it might not work for others. This technique does help when you are procrastinating on a task or project. I heard some PHD students used this technique to complete their entire degree. Great technique if you are studying 😊
FREE Meditation apps
https://www.mindful.org/free-mindfulness-apps-worthy-of-your-attention/
I love the Insight Timer app, I have been using it for more than 3 years now and it is how I achieved 1,000 days of meditation. Here is a link to my podcast if you have not heard it as yet, “1,000 days of meditation – How to live a life full of bliss?”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iy0FjjDFd1MIGpa8AHUBS?si=vUi4n70tRwK_FAwH4pnxGQ&dl_branch=1
Painting & Creative Workshops
https://classbento.com.au/
I attended the painting class twice so far, they send you the painting kit in the post. I was in the state of flow and time flew. 2.5-hour session felt like 30 minutes.