Design Your Life with Beauty--For You, Your home, Your Environment
As someone who experiences chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety and is affected by the worrisome events happening now I have had to put into practice what I learned, and researched for the past two decades, I share it with you here in a five part series.
What is Zen? (A reminder)
Zen originates from the tranquil practices of Buddhism. The general idea of achieving Zen or peace in life is to simplify and tone down the stress and distractions that may pop up. Here is the second out of five very basic yet effective Zen habits to adapt to a calmer, more relaxed lifestyle.
Zen Habit #5
Take One Day or Moment at a Time
Worrying about how the next day’s going to go and what you’re going to do, all of the things that need to be done, the deadlines coming up, the plans you need to start and finish- It’s a lot! Zen says to slow down and learn to pace your life.
Life is so busy, and the days just keep piling onto each other. Your plans may extend to the month being charted down or just the week. The problem that will sometimes present itself is that you get so caught up with the plan when things don’t go your way, everything crashes on you.
These are all natural worries and everyone stumbles upon them, but as the saying goes, when you fall, brush yourself and get back up.
Get up and Brush Yourself Off
To understand how this applies here, let’s analyze the quote to fit one’s everyday life.
Unsuspecting plans and sudden jobs do tend to pop up in our lives, and when they do, they may feel like a blow to your chest. Some people are just not adjusted to handling change that well.
If you’re stressed and anxious, then these will really put a strain on the way your day unfolds. When you live a life inhabited with Zen habits, this isn’t such a problem.
With a Zen mindset, finding out that your plans will be altered, allows you to be more flexible. You can take in the moment as it comes and head towards the new outcome with ease. Everything in your life can be accommodated for as it is still to come. Like thoughts, the day’s outcome will flow along like a train of thought. It’s just your job to get on board.
Treat Each Moment as a Day
The practice of taking each moment at a time is a little stretched out here, where you’re thinking about only the day. Your morning should be dedicated to the layout of your whole day. You should think about the events you plan to forgo and all of the projects you want to do.
Have a general idea of what your day’s going to look like, but don’t stick to this layout like glue. Remember, anything can happen and you need to be flexible with your time.
While the day rolls out, only focus on what’s going on. This not only helps with productivity but mindfulness as well. When your focus is set on one objective, your mind’s at its prime of productivity. It focuses to its best extent on what must be done.
Not only will you feel your job’s better accomplished, but your satisfaction will feed your positive emotions which will help carry out the day smoothly.
A Key Factor
So as you may have noticed, concentration’s a key factor that works for a Zen-filled day. Concentration on everything going on presently helps filter all of your clustering thoughts which clears your thought process.
The more concentrated you are, the better you feel because you don’t have other things pushing their way in your face. Of course, there’s a bit of your contribution to this by making sure there are no distractions laid out for you.
If you have too many things trying to work with each other at once, you’ll find more chaos than harmony. The best Zen habits are ones that are 100% you. If someone tries to give you a suggestion, you have to think first,
Is this something that I would do?
If it isn’t, then you shouldn’t try to fit it into your habits. Accommodating someone else suggestions shouldn’t be your first priority.
Your habits need to be something comfortable for you, habits that you can easily fit into. That’s why Zen habits can only be directed so generally. Each person has their own preferences and thoughts that make their personality individual, so evidently, you find your peace uniquely from others.
Does this resonate?
Wishing You Wholeness