Clear Habit #1: Restore yourself through nature.
So often we are stressed and we don’t even realize it. Sometimes when we’re stressed, we try to do more – to remove the stress – but really we need to slow down and REST to perform better. It’s funny how to be more productive sometimes we have to stop. It’s easy to get on that roller coaster of “work-mode” and sometimes its hard to know we are tired because we go on autopilot. So,how do we know when we really need a break and when we should power through? What type of break should we take? Sometimes we wont take a pause because we will feel lazy and we think pushing through will yield a better outcome. Well, if you’re physically demonstrating signs of exhaustion, mentally, you are better off taking a break.
Clear Habit Strategy – Know your limits. Find your tiredness/frustration indicators and respond. Look for small signs in your behavior or day to day routine to cue you in to how you are doing. Keep it consistent. For me it’s a semi-challenging crossword puzzle game on my phone. When I struggle with the game, I know I’m tired. When I get frustrated with the game, I know I need a restorative break. It’s a fairly easy game, so it’s a good litmus test for me.
Anecdotal evidence: One night, I struggled with my crossword game (I hadn’t discovered it as my litmus test yet). The next morning, I had plans to meet a friend to go visit The Huntington Gardens. She was running behind and I thought I would cancel because I felt pretty tired and I had work to be done. Maybe her running late would be a good excuse for me to stay indoors and be productive? But she was on her way already so I kept my word. We got to the gardens and surrounded ourselves by trees, waterfalls, roses, and sky. We had fun looking at the succulents and planning our new businesses. We got lost in our dreams and excited about the future. When I got home, it finally set in how much I needed that time. I knew I was tired, but because I felt pressured to work, I wouldn’t have taken a break when that is all I needed. To test my success at rest, I opened up my crossword game when I got home, and without any effort, finished the puzzle that confounded and frustrated me so much the night before.
What A Privilege; Bamboo at Huntington Gardens ( Jacquelyn Sky)
What type of break is best? It’s not always a basic nap or mediation app. When you are frustrated it’s a great time to relax your mind by experiencing nature and return only to your work once you’ve forgotten how frustrated you were to begin with. This doesn’t take as long as it sounds but may depend on how frustrated you are. Getting into nature puts us in a mode of appreciation and reminds us the world is bigger than whatever issue we are facing. If you live by a park, or are able to get out into nature, even if just to admire it, it’s amazing what that can do for your stress. if you can walk in it, even better. Walking does wonders for the mind – ask Einstein.
Learn more about nature and wellness – forest bathing – coming soon
Clear Habit 