Recently I’ve been listening to several patients comment on feeling overwhelmed. It seems like everyone’s life is too busy. Between work and family there’s minimal time for people to take care of their individual selves. There’s no time for reflection or inspiration because things just need to get done. While I whole heartedly appreciate that, I also feel that when we’re connected to something that inspires us, it makes drudging through all of the other tasks a little bit easier. A little spark of inspiration may even help you to accomplish your goals more effectively by seeing problems and solutions in a different light.
I recently tried something new myself. I took my first pottery wheel class. Although I was terrible at it, I loved it! I realized that I have a very orderly life, working with the clay and just letting myself be a big mess for a bit was very freeing! It was a lesson in mindfulness. If I pressed the clay too hard or moved the wheel or my hands too fast things would go visibly wrong very quickly! I was surprised to learn that I had to move my hands at a slow Tai Chi pace. Just like acupuncture and Tai Chi, both hands work together and support each other. By practicing the techniques, I have a feeling it will be a fun new way to train my sense of focus and pressure that will also support my acupuncture treatments. I’m looking forward to taking more classes!
How about yourself? If you’ve been in a rut I would suggest asking yourself:
- What inspires me?
- What did I love to do as a child?
- What have I been wanting to learn but haven’t made the time for?
- Is there an organization that has a mission close to my heart that I’ve been wanting to volunteer for?
- Am I afraid to try new things for fear of failure? If so, add this book to your reading list. Mindset by Carol Dweck.
If you’ve been feeling anxious and overwhelmed set aside at least 15 minutes a day just for yourself. If you haven’t tried acupuncture this is a good time to try it. Treatments can alleviate some of the emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety and stress to help you getting back to feeling yourself.