Our daily rhythms serve as the foundation for our life and mental health. In a culture rife with extensive commuting and a hurried approach to daily tasks it can be difficult to gauge our presence within our weekly life. The mind naturally drifts towards future tasks and places where they are completed while the body absorbs the tension of daily frustrations of compacted routines. Our routines are rarely by choice, making us vulnerable to resentment that deepens tension within our week. During your commute home you may be wondering how you will be able to fulfill the requirements of your afternoon and evening.
I encourage you to take a moment to think and feel about your daily and weekly rhythms. Ask yourself, “How does my week flow? Do I find my mind stuck in or dreading the next place? When am I fully present in my day? Am I ever fully present on a weekday?”
With engagement and exploration into our weekly rhythms let's find ourselves at a common focal point where people can gauge their stress. Your arrival home.
Paying attention and checking in on ourselves when we get home can provide useful data on our overall weekday experience. We respond differently based on our current stressors and and context. Parents typically experience a rush towards their second shift of childcare and household tasks. Many people feel the tension of whether to focus their energy on their personal or social lives during the week. Something I commonly hear from patients is a sense of being rushed and pulled into household and life management tasks. Flying directly from work to home with no break from task completion until a release of a drink and Netflix.
Ideally home is a place where we can recuperate from our workday. A place to maintain and enjoy familial and social bonds or to spend time with ourselves. This process begins as we arrive. Ask yourself. What do I typically do when I get home? How do I feel in my body and mind? Is there consistency in this daily event? Do I have any patterns or rituals that I have developed over time? Do I feel present or pulled?
Many people notice residual tension in their mind and bodies when they arrive home. This fatigue and stress commonly stands between full engagement in downtime along with being present in the care of loved ones. Developing a daily ritual when we get home can interrupt our lack of presence and the pull towards tasks. The process is simple. Do something when you get home to break the cycle of the day and allow space for recuperation and full engagement. However simple is not easy. The struggle lies in being vulnerable to the process of change, buying in to your practice, prioritizing space for yourself, committing to a consistent practice, and boundary management with others.
Small changes like developing a ritual when we get home can create a large ripple in our life. We find increased engagement, calm, and ownership of our day. However the struggle to create a positive ripple in our day often creates resistance, push back, and defeat. If you find struggle in this change, your wellbeing not being a priority in your environment, or fear of making a positive change please contact us for consultation.
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