Do you give yourself the time to 'think' or 'slow down'?

Ok, full hippie Joe is coming out right now, but, after a recent solo camping trip, it really got me ‘thinking’…

How much time do we give ourselves to actually ‘think’ or truly 'slow down?

As I sat there staring outside of my van at nothing but trees, no to-do list, no tv, no consumption, I felt just a sheer presence of calm. I often talk about how camping brings this feeling for me. Its genuinely one of the only places I can go where I feel I can truly ‘switch off’ and process thoughts.  This is why its so beneficial for me. If you could climb into my brain for a day you would get lost in sheer entanglement. You would never get out.

This is not a “You need to go meditate daily” post. (Although me and my partner are currently working on that)

But, its the sheer recognition that our lives are just filled with utter consumption and to-do lists.

Look, I love it, I love the work I am involved in, I love working towards goals, I love taking action. I love making journals and planners. BUT, I also just love sitting there on my arse too, if I was to be completely honest.

We are at a place now realistically where the only time our brains ‘shut off’ is when we go to sleep.

We wake up – jump on with our routines.

There are podcasts and books I listen to daily (I love learning), but it’s all still consumption.

There is social media – Its all-consuming.

Then we get to the office and work through our growing list of ‘to-dos.’

The list is endless.

Activities keep the brain healthy no doubt, but so does switching off. And I mean truly switching off, not binge watching a show on Netflix. 

Whenever, we are stood in a queue, what’s the first thing we all do? we take out our phones out and we begin to consume... again.

When we stop consuming for a little period of time, it gives our brains the opportunity to work through problems. It gives our brains the opportunity to actually ‘slow down’ and ‘think.’ Yes, your mind might go to some weird and wonderful places, but its processing information without distraction.

I personally have started meditating with my partner every evening (after so long saying it doesn’t work). I am going to be honest, I am ‘terrible’ at it in the portrayed sense, my mind wanders ALL the time, I am often still thinking about other things. I am not Ram Das or a spiritual guru. BUT, the one benefit is, I am actually giving myself ‘time to stop’, I am just embracing this currently. Even if my mind wanders, at least its not consuming for a brief period. I will report back to you if I reach a state of enlightenment.

We live in a world now where we have lost the essence of ‘day dreaming’, because the minute we get a stop-gap, we take our phones out. The minute we sit down to ‘unwind’, we turn on Netflix. We might even read (I do). I am not dismissing any of these things as they might bring you a sense of relaxation. I enjoy them too. However, we also need to give ourselves time to think and genuinely slow down too.

For me, there is something surreal and calming when I just sit on my own for a brief period of time and shut off from the world. I need to keep making conscious effort to do it. I always come back feeling truly energised.

They say many of our most creative and ‘a-ha’ moments come in the shower or bathtub due to the fact that we are in such a relaxed state. It makes complete sense.

To end on this. When it comes to your mental wellbeing, here are some of the things that I work on / I am currently working on to try and get better with this. Perhaps you could try them too.

• Camping (Getting in nature) – As stated above, turning off devices for a period of time and just wandering and slowing down.
• Meditating – I am in its infancy; I will see how I get on with it and report back. I have tried it before, then lost interest to be totally honest. I find journaling to be of more value.
• Journaling – Journaling is something which works for me as its about removing distractions and taking the time to reflect. Its sometimes just letting everything that’s going on in my head digest a little bit. The time spent putting pen to paper gives me the chance to acknowledge that.
• Phone bans - Something I keep going back too. Trying to make a conscious effort on some occasions to leave the phone at home. This could be on a dog walk. It could be on a run (sometimes its a podcast, but sometimes its trying without). It could be when I out with my partner or visiting family. I don't always get this right, but every time I do, when I return... the world is exactly the same. Its really not that scary.
• Get bored in a queue - Resisting the urge to find a second to reply to an email whilst waiting for my sausage bun or toffee latte. Observing the world a little bit. I say this all the time, but have you ever watched a petrol station on a Monday morning? It is just absolute chaos. Its like a mirror metaphor for the world we live in. Its not always easy, but slipping the odd bit in here and there is a starting point.

The Dalai Lama said 'We are human beings not human doings'. (Told you I am half chav, half hippie). I am a 'do-er' most definitely, as stated by my friends, family and partner. Sometimes though I really want to just slow down. Finding the balance is the key for me.

How do you ‘switch off’? Do you give yourself the chance to switch off? I would love to know your thoughts on this. Let me know in the comments.