Are you living life at such a pace that your mind is spinning like a hamster in a wheel… faster and faster without getting anywhere?
It’s a common condition and, I don’t know about you, but I don’t come across many people for whom the pace of life is slowing down!
One of the downsides of ‘hamster-wheeling’ our way through life is that we naturally down-regulate our ability to be able to feel. It is a necessary part of the stress response (Fight, Flight or Freeze), so that we can carry on in times of danger or when our life is threatened. For most of us however the daily challenges that we face are not life threatening (although cumulatively they sometimes feel that way!) but the effects of the incessant ‘hamster-wheeling’ means that we miss the subtle clues about how our bodies are carrying tension. Are you in need of more exercise, water or loving & caring attention. The same could probably be said for our ability to recognise the needs of those around us who crave more exercise, water or attention…
Most of us will acknowledge this and say “yes but it will all be different when my life circumstances change”. More accurately (and honestly) our life circumstances will change when we change.
In what ways can we slow the hamster wheel in our every day life? What do you need to do to check in with what your body is communicating to you? (If we ignore our body’s messages for some time, it tends to shout louder).
Whatever journey we want our minds to take today, let’s ensure that we take our bodies with it.
Warmly,
Dave
