You're Doing Too Much

Have you ever stopped for a minute and thought to yourself, "Am I doing too much?" Despite when and how this question arose, the answer is invariably: Yes!

By the very nature of questioning your limits, you can safely surmise that you are, in all liklihood, doing too much. But what does "too much" actually mean? And doesn't it mean we're exceptional if we can push ourselves to go beyond the normal limits?

These are very important questions to ask, and questions which are often overlooked. Given societal expectations and financial obligations that often come with the average day-to-day life (mortgage, rent, bills), it's no wonder we're all doing too much!

It's not because we want to overperform; it's because we think we must.

What does "doing too much" actually mean?

How do you know when you're doing too much? And what are some easy ways to recognize or stop it? When I say "doing too much," I'm talking about any instance in which you both hear and ignore your body's internal signal(s) to slow down or stop. It's that simple!

Our body is constantly giving us signals, telling us how to properly respond to our environment. These signals can range from seemingly random thoughts, to physical sensations, or even something as vague as a gut feeling (i.e. intuition). In other words, each individual learns to listen to their body differently. This connection between our brain and physical body is commonly known as the "mind-body connection," and establishing a strong relationship here becomes super helpful when exploring your own personal limits.

Activities such as meditation and yoga are two fantastic ways to strengthen the mind-body connection, as both practices have a strong emphasis on mental engagement and less on the physical body. Exercising, sports, running... these activities are distinctly different, as well as being commonly accepted forms of stress-relief. The main difference between these types of activites, yoga and running, for example, is that yoga is designed to engage your mind exclusively, while running has a heavy element of physical conditioning, which intrinsicly distracts mental focus.

In a previous blog, "Why Working Out Isn't Working Out," I discussed the importance of exercising both our brains as well as our bodies. Check it out to learn more about the pros and cons of exercising!

“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.”

-Zen Proverb

Becoming Heavily Meditated

Meditation is sometimes seen as a luxury, a taboo, or maybe even a spiritual hobby reserved for those with free time to spare. In actuality, meditation is a key factor in our mental stability and health. Meditating daily, for just 10 or 20 minutes, is a step you can take that can yield immediate results. These results include:

• Returning your nervous system to baseline

• Strengthening your mind-body connection

• Finding relief from stress & anxiety

• Discovering a new-found level of peace

So what exactly is meditation? In its most basic sense, meditating is simply the act of sitting (or lying) still for an extended period; ten minutes should do the trick. And that's it! Meditation allows the mind to focus internally, and it would be hard to define meditation without discussing the concept of mindfulness.

Being mindful is one's ability to focus and be fully engaged with the subject at hand. Think of "being mindful" as the polor opposite of "being distracted." When you are distracted, your mind wanders to distant places and it can seem hard to stay focused. By meditating regularly, we are able to bolster our natural ability to concentrate, which in turn will enhance your skills of perception, awareness, and even clarity. Meditation is a practice, and just like most practices, your ability to meditate will improve with time (as long as you're actually practicing!). Taking just ten minutes a day to focus on your breath and having an intention to focus is all it takes.

Lifestyle Medicine

As previously mentioned, meditation and yoga are two fantastic ways to improve your mind-body connection. They both promote mental focus and enhance your ability to concentrate. But what more can we do? Is it really just sitting still for 10 minutes a day in meditation? This is where lifestyle comes in!

Lifestyle is that all-encompassing part of who we are in our day-to-day lives. From what we eat, to the activities we take part in, all the way to the words we choose in daily conversation, making changes to our lifestyle is the most impactful way to affect long-term mental and physical health. By incorporating healthy practices, such as meditating, into your daily routine, you are opening the door to even more healthy habits, resulting in an all-around healthier you! These additional habits include sleep patterns, diet, physical activity, and avoiding risky behaviors. Once you experience the immense change that meditating brings, you'll be wanting to chase that blissful feeling even further and will naturally seek out new means of self-improvement.

Stress is not a natural part of life. Stress comes from your inability to manage your own system.

-Sadhguru

Stress "Management"

In general, the concept of managing your stress levels in order to reach an improved state seems reasonable. Why wouldn't you want to feel better? In fact, we've discussed several of these methods in this very blog! But for a moment, consider this: Why would you want to manage your stress when you can just eliminate it? Stress management has an inherent understanding that, while stress levels will be reduced or controlled, the stress will not be going any where. Stress managment, in this sense, implies that you keep the stress indefinitely, althoughbeit reduced. Since stress is not a natural part of life, but rather an adopted one, we should instead explore returning to our natural state: one free from stress.

Remember, everyone has their own starting point when it comes to mindfulness practices. For some, this is the first time they've even heard the concept of "mindfulness." For others, the focus might be more in-depth or complex. And no matter where you are in your journey, the thing to remember is that there's always room for improvement. Your standards will be uniquely yours, as are your personal preferences while discovering a balanced, stress-free state that is well within your reach!