Step Three - Turn everything off and brain dump
We've never been so busy. When you're at the bus stop or train station, take a look around. Everyone's 'in' their phones - checking emails, playing games, texting, social networking - there's never a moment in which we're not being bombarded with information, photos, videos and messages that require our attention. And that's just one little gadget - such power it has!
Amongst all that noise, ask yourself - is there a little voice that's being lost?
This is the voice of your needs and desires, being squashed down daily by all the demands of modern life. Your next step to happiness is to turn everything off and listen for a while.
So, phone off (or at least switched to silent, I'm not a complete monster), television off, laptop or tablet put aside. You might just want a pen and a notebook nearby, and if anything urgent occurs to you, note it down to sort out later. You don't want anything nagging away at your mind while you do this exercise. Okay, ready? It's time to do nothing for the first time in ages.
Try it at the bus stop or train station. Put your phone away, take out your headphones and look up. Breathe, relax your shoulders and look around. Listen to what's happening around you (I find listening to other people's conversations particularly entertaining), ask your body how it feels - do you feel well? Is your jaw tense? Relax it. Are you sitting comfortably, or holding yourself unnaturally in one position? Relax. Is there a tension line between your eyebrows from where you've been squinting at your phone? Smile, it does wonders for a tense face.
Look, listen, smell, breathe - and when you feel the lack of stimulation, don't pick your phone back up in panic, because that quiet little space is vital. If you must look at something, have a look at the picture on this blogpost. Imagine yourself sitting by the water. What can you see, and smell, and hear? Resist the temptation to find something to read. Just become empty.
I believe this quietness is something you need if you want to have really great ideas. Good decisions are not born out of anxious minds.
So, have you achieved a little inner calm in this mad world? Good. Now you're ready to brain dump.
Pick up the notebook and start writing. It can be as simple as a to-do list, or it could be a full-on mission statement.
For example, if you can't think of what to write, here are some ideas:
- Write a list of 100 things you want to do in your life
- Write down all the things that are worrying you
- Write down a list of people you haven't seen in ages whose company you really enjoy
- Write a list of things you'd do if only you had time
- List the books you want to read, the films you want to see, or the plays you'd like to go to
Get it all out onto the paper. Now your brain is free to get on with the serious business of being happier, based on what you've just written. You can either start working your way through your list of 100 things, buying the first book on your to-read list, or pick up the phone to a friend.
Or carry on enjoying your empty mind, as I find my best ideas have come while I've been completely relaxed and stress-free, which is a rare state of mind for any of us these days. Practice doing it for a short time every day.
Go back to Step One of the blog and celebrate! You've done a great thing. This happiness lark is mainly just sitting about and relaxing - it's a lazy girl's dream.
Top Tip: When you write To Do lists, give equal weight to seeing your friends, watching films and reading books as you do to finishing spreadsheets, updating your CV and washing the car. A list full of boring chores is less likely to get done than one which contains hidden treats.
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| Picture from morgueFile free photos |
We've never been so busy. When you're at the bus stop or train station, take a look around. Everyone's 'in' their phones - checking emails, playing games, texting, social networking - there's never a moment in which we're not being bombarded with information, photos, videos and messages that require our attention. And that's just one little gadget - such power it has!
Amongst all that noise, ask yourself - is there a little voice that's being lost?
This is the voice of your needs and desires, being squashed down daily by all the demands of modern life. Your next step to happiness is to turn everything off and listen for a while.
So, phone off (or at least switched to silent, I'm not a complete monster), television off, laptop or tablet put aside. You might just want a pen and a notebook nearby, and if anything urgent occurs to you, note it down to sort out later. You don't want anything nagging away at your mind while you do this exercise. Okay, ready? It's time to do nothing for the first time in ages.
Try it at the bus stop or train station. Put your phone away, take out your headphones and look up. Breathe, relax your shoulders and look around. Listen to what's happening around you (I find listening to other people's conversations particularly entertaining), ask your body how it feels - do you feel well? Is your jaw tense? Relax it. Are you sitting comfortably, or holding yourself unnaturally in one position? Relax. Is there a tension line between your eyebrows from where you've been squinting at your phone? Smile, it does wonders for a tense face.
Look, listen, smell, breathe - and when you feel the lack of stimulation, don't pick your phone back up in panic, because that quiet little space is vital. If you must look at something, have a look at the picture on this blogpost. Imagine yourself sitting by the water. What can you see, and smell, and hear? Resist the temptation to find something to read. Just become empty.
I believe this quietness is something you need if you want to have really great ideas. Good decisions are not born out of anxious minds.
So, have you achieved a little inner calm in this mad world? Good. Now you're ready to brain dump.
Pick up the notebook and start writing. It can be as simple as a to-do list, or it could be a full-on mission statement.
For example, if you can't think of what to write, here are some ideas:
- Write a list of 100 things you want to do in your life
- Write down all the things that are worrying you
- Write down a list of people you haven't seen in ages whose company you really enjoy
- Write a list of things you'd do if only you had time
- List the books you want to read, the films you want to see, or the plays you'd like to go to
Get it all out onto the paper. Now your brain is free to get on with the serious business of being happier, based on what you've just written. You can either start working your way through your list of 100 things, buying the first book on your to-read list, or pick up the phone to a friend.
Or carry on enjoying your empty mind, as I find my best ideas have come while I've been completely relaxed and stress-free, which is a rare state of mind for any of us these days. Practice doing it for a short time every day.
Go back to Step One of the blog and celebrate! You've done a great thing. This happiness lark is mainly just sitting about and relaxing - it's a lazy girl's dream.
Top Tip: When you write To Do lists, give equal weight to seeing your friends, watching films and reading books as you do to finishing spreadsheets, updating your CV and washing the car. A list full of boring chores is less likely to get done than one which contains hidden treats.
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