Break the cycle of “busyness” and discover a more productive, meaningful and joyful life!

We’ve all been there.

Focusing our full attention on having super human powers that keep us in constant motion, we juggle the myriad responsibilities of our career, social, and family lives.

Eventually, we run ourselves to exhaustion until we end up feeling overwhelmed, lost, confused and wondering, “is all there is to life?”

We keep thinking if we just get one more thing done we can finally have some time to focus on the important things in life. The things that make life meaningful.

The hobby that brings you joy. The career that gives you purpose. The relationships that foster your sense of connection and belonging.

But, the to-do list never ends. There is always one more chore to complete. One more thing to do and then you’ll get there.

And the crazy thing is, when you finally get to the end of the list, rather than giving yourself permission to rest, you find yourself searching frantically to add more items to it.

Could it be you don’t know what to do with yourself when you’re not moving full speed ahead?

This is a sign you may have become addicted to “busyness.”

The “Busyness” Addiction

First, let’s look at how the “busyness” cycle is created and then how it affects your physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing.

With a repetitive thought or action, a deep groove, or neural pathway, is created in your brain and over time it is just easier to travel along this well-worn path of chronic busyness or stress.

Even if it is not in your best interest physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

Ultimately, the effects of your “busyness” addiction catch up with you leaving you feeling chronically stressed.

This low-level stress builds and builds over time resulting in one or more negative effects on your wellbeing. It may show up as impatience, frustration, irritation, anger, anxiety, depression, muscle tension, headache, indigestion, hormone imbalances, auto immune diseases, heart disease and on and on.

In this world of nonstop “doing” your sympathetic nervous system is on high alert all of the time. It’s like having all of the lights on in your house all of the time. EXHAUSTING!

And, if you take a moment to dig deep and uncover what’s driving this addiction, or habitual pattern, you may find a belief that your value is measured by how much you accomplish each day, each hour, each minute.

You begin to believe if you can just accomplish enough, then you will BE enough.

So, how do you break the cycle of “busyness”?

One way is through DEEP REST.

3 Ways to experience DEEP REST and Reclaim a Life You Love

DEEP REST is different from sleep. It is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.

You can experience DEEP REST by integrating RESTORATIVE YOGA POSES, CONSCIOUS BREATHING, and YOGA NIDRA into your daily life.

#1 Restorative Yoga

WHAT: Restorative yoga uses props (blankets, eye pillows) to support the body in positions of comfort and ease to facilitate relaxation and health.

Restorative yoga postures reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones and quiet the nervous system. They improve digestion and strengthen immune function.

They help us conserve rather than expend our energy and revitalize us rather than deplete us.

From the outside restorative yoga might look like just lying around on bolsters and blankets, but the truth is that it changes us at profound and subtle levels of being that a hurried practice cannot reach.

Restorative yoga gains us access to deeper levels of being, the gateways to a quiet mind.

HOW: Attend a class in your area taught by a Certified Restorative Yoga Teacher or check out restorative yoga guru Judith Lasater’s newest book, Restore and Rebalance.

#2 Conscious Breathing

WHAT: Conscious breathing is essential to relaxation. Rapid and shallow breathing contributes to elevated nervous system arousal (stress response). When we regulate breathing and make it slower and deeper, the relaxation response becomes more dominant.

HOW: One way to connect to the breath is to simply become aware of it. Immediately, you will notice the breath becoming slower and deeper naturally without effort.

Another exercise is to count the breath. Breathe in to the count of 4 and breathe out to the count of 6. Repeat for 4 breath cycles and observe the changes in your mind, body, and emotions.

Take 3 minutes to watch this video as I guide you through conscious breathing.

#3 Yoga Nidra

WHAT: According to Karen Brody in her book Daring to Rest, Yoga Nidra is a sleep-based, conscious relaxation and meditation technique. It is also known as yogic sleep.

In yoga nidra you are guided into a sleep state but invited to remain conscious.

It is very simple: you lie on your back or in your favorite restorative yoga pose and listen to the voice of a person leading the meditation. The voice prompts guide you from your crazy-busy outer life into your inner senses and into a relaxed, subconscious state of mind.

Each time you practice yoga nidra meditation, you’re stilling the waves of the mind through conscious entry into the sleep state.

As with other forms of meditation, it improves your overall well-being and leaves you feeling well rested.

HOW: To experience yoga nidra, attend a class in your area, check out Karen Brody’s Daring to Rest 40 Day Program, search for on-line recordings or get the app, Yoga Nidra – Deep Relaxation Practice.

Practicing one or all of these regularly, for as little as 20 minutes per day, improves your overall well-being and over time helps you break your addiction to busyness.

Deep Rest and True Transformation

As you can imagine, feeling well rested is life changing.

Simple, but profound, these practices slowly begin to “dim the lights” triggering the relaxation response of your autonomic nervous system and offering you a way to restore balance or flow to your body, mind, and spirit.

When flow is restored, you then have the power to reclaim a life you love!

You can once again experience connection with your spirit – with God.

And, from this connection, your next steps become clear and you can trust that taking these inspired actions will lead to a more productive, meaningful and joyful life.

Finally, within the space of Deep Rest, you will see that YOU ARE ENOUGH – perfect, whole, and complete exactly the way you are.

If you are ready to experience DEEP REST AND TRUE TRANSFORMATION, I can help!

As an Integrative Life Coach and Yoga Teacher, I can help you release stress and learn techniques to connect to your inner guidance so that you are truly living in alignment with your soul’s passion and purpose.

Contact me today for your complimentary Discovery Session.

denise@2bwellspringfield.com, 417-861-6446

You’ll be so glad you did!