There have been many suggestions by many gurus over the years of what someone should do to help them getting shit done (tick off never-ending task list that is in front of them) without getting too stressed. Now I’m not saying that what I write below will work for you but I have tried and tested every method I can think of over the years so the below is what I have found to be an effective form of meditation, relaxing of the mind with the aim of helping me to get my shit done (personal and work).
RUNNING
I find when I run I go into my own headspace and this helps to release any tension or stress that has built up over the day or week. Now, this wasn’t an easy art to perfect, this took me years. When I first started running (it’s been 8 years now) I needed to focus on my breathing, my running style, where I was running and even my steps, making sure my feet were in front of me. Running 3km’s was a mission and eventually built up to 5km and I still remember my first 8km Mother’s Day classic run. It took me a good two years before I was able to tune out and not focus on any of these things and started to more focus on the distance or pace of each run. Now I am able to not focus on anything while running which allows my mind to go in 10 different directions so I let my thought come and go as it pleases, not holding onto or thinking deeply about anything particular. This was a technique I learned called streamline meditation. It’s where you don’t focus on your breathe or a mantra but let your mind just flow. Works a treat! I have solved the worlds biggest problems following this. For me this is meditation.
WRITING
I have never been a big writer but starting this year (2017) I started writing monthly blogs. As an entrepreneur, we tend to believe we never achieve the goals we set out to achieve as we are always striving for the next big thing and so because of this I started writing monthly blogs where in fact it’s achieved two things for me.
- As I write down everything that’s happened in the month it makes me realise that we are moving in the right direction towards our goals and we are actually achieving things.
- This releases stress as it gives me time out to reflect on the month that’s been, clears my mind of any issues that have come up and how we have overcome them and some time out with myself. This time out is the biggest one I believe. Being able to have time with your own thoughts and putting pen to paper (well in my case fingers on keyboard to OneNote) helps to connect with oneself.
FLOATING
For me this is very similar to running and acupuncture with the focus on meditation but with an added bonus of body regeneration.
If you have never floated before I highly recommend you give it a go, at least minimum of 3 times as it does take a little bit to get used to. There is something about being weightlessness in a pool, letting your entire body just collapse, not holding yourself up in any which way or form. This is why it takes a while to get used to it. We, as humans, are always holding ourselves up in one way or another and we carry stress all over our body especially our shoulders and so floating mixed with the fact it’s complete stillness and pitch blackness is something like no other. The feeling of just letting go, all tension in your body is released, your mind is put at ease, it’s a beautiful thing. If this form of meditation didn’t have such a high cost to it I would be there a few times a week for sure.I do notice that if I don’t do the above for a while, miss going for a run, not write for a while or don’t go for a float then my getting shit done approach has lapsed. This is all now in my daily and weekly routine.
With the combination of the three above I have noticed my stress levels are now super low, I don’t let anything affect me as I know it will work itself out one way or another & I will figure it out in one of my forms of meditation. This is how I believe I’m a lot more effective now with getting shit done.
