The Well

We all have the same number of hours in every day. Between work and family, most of us wish we could somehow find a few extra moments in the day to exercise, cook healthy meals, or at least take a few deep breaths.

If you find that your moments run from one to the next from the moment you wake up until the moment you drop into bed, it’s important that you find a new way to look at your day, and perhaps reframe how you spend your ‘spare moments’.

Much of our stress about time comes from our nonstop mental chatter that seems to accompany us no matter what else we are doing. The result of this chatter, is that even small moments, when we could be recharging by emptying our mind, become bulldozed by our judgements, ideas, and to-do lists. Try these tips to create a little more room in your day.

  • Make the most of small moments. Notice how you fill up the little moments in in your days. When you are standing in line or riding in an elevator or sitting at a red light, notice where your mind goes. Do you pull out your phone to check social media, do you mentally run through what you have to do for the rest of the day or what to have for dinner? Instead, take these small moments to drop into your breath, filling your belly and letting your attention be fully in the present.
  • Create mini workouts. When you are waiting for the customer service person to come on the phone line, stand up and do some squats or lunges. When you return to your desk after a meeting, do a couple push ups or tricep dips from your desk, or take the stairs on your bathroom break. You can accomplish great fitness gains from making the most of these quick opportunities to challenge your body.
  • Plan ahead for quick meals during the week. Eating healthy is best accomplished by eating at home. When you cook your own food, you know exactly what you are eating. If you take a bit of time during the weekend to prepare veggies, cook up a pot of quinoa and some overnight oats, it will take just a few moments during the week to make healthy food choices during the week.
  • Make Shower time your friend. Becoming more mindful and aware of what is happening in the present moment is a sure way to release the frantic quality that can creep into busy days. When you step into the shower, commit to yourself that you will be fully aware of every sensation. Notice the water on your skin, the scent of your body wash, the sound of water cascading. When you become more fully aware of the sensations you are experiencing, you open up the beauty and experience of them.

With busy lives, it becomes tricky to not feel completely swept up by all of the demands and responsibilities. But when that happens, we lose our sense of wonder, and the ability to appreciate the little things in these busy lives. We can give ourselves not only the gift of better health, but also the incredible gift of being present and aware of each and every moment as it happens.

Kalia Kelmenson, Certified Wellness Coach :: mauimindandbody.com