You know times are tough in the sensory overload department when New York Times Food Writer Mark Bittman departs from his culinary ways to write about his experience of a "virtual break" from all the techno-stuff that weighs most of us down in our workplace or career.
He chronicled his disconnected-ness for 24-hours and his foray into what he terms as a "secular Sabbath." "No screens, bells or beeps," he eloquently writes. "Something as simple as turning off the electronics is easy, but try to make a habit of it."
Ahh – that is the question. Unless we have some form of calming the "monkey-mind" associated with ruminating over what we might be missing by ignoring the beep of the Black Berry, than you’ll either revert to former behavior – or remain in an unrelaxed state. Here’s the passage that was the most telling:
"I tried to allow myself to be less purposeful, not to care what was piling up in my personal cyberspace, and not to think about how busy I was going to be the next morning. I cooked, then went to bed, and read some more. GRADUALLY, over this and the next couple of weekends — one of which stretched from Friday night until Monday morning, like the old days — I adapted."
Why and how did Bittman adapt? It certainly wasn’t what he refers to as a "zen sit," (he doesn’t appear fond of that style of meditation) but instead he tapped into his inner voice or passion, (although he wouldn’t call it that either) and found what resonates with the calming of his being (my words again). Apparently, it’s reading and cooking.
We get so caught up in how others tell us to cultivate resilience and stillness, that we often don’t get quiet enough to listen to our own inner guidance which will inevitably tell us what to do. I am a proponent of meditation, yoga, exercise, knitting etc. to calm the spirit, but I’m a greater proponent of individuals coming up with their own technique.
I often work with clients to, break the mind with the breath. There’s nothing new agey about it. It’s science. Using the breath to calm the body and mind. You’d be surprised how many business people I teach of about the process. It’s only one path to relaxation.
That being said, we must first make the choice to be silent in the first place. Acknowledging, as Bittman did, that it’s time for a drastic change in behavior or head into a spiral of burnout.
