Why is it so tough to just sit still?

How long can you sit still?

For many of our friends and clients, this last weekend was a long one. Not for us and we worked on a project again already yesterday. After the last two weeks, we didn’t want to have too many plans. Doing nothing sounds great, right?! When was the last time, you just sat still? For many, it’s really tough!

But why?

Now, we’re not taking about those adults who are suffering from adult ADHD. That’s a whole other topic. This one is about doing nothing, just sitting still, watching the world go by.

If you’re anything like us, you probably haven’t had the luxury to sit still. There’s so much going on: Breakfast meetings, office, hitting the gym, meeting the girls, date night, catching up with family. Perhaps there’s even more on your plate, especially if you have kids!

Not the same as me time

To sit still is not the same as “me time” either. Me time is time dedicated to you and what gives you energy back. Some argue you should include me time into every single day. Others recognise that this may not always be feasible. Having said that, you’ll need to find the right balance for you. How much time you do you need to refill your cup?

It is not selfish to refill your own cup

Just sitting still

For us, it was difficult to just sit still and do nothing. We didn’t have the radio on, so there was no distraction. Maybe that was the issue? It was too quiet. Maybe if we had turned some music on, we could have just enjoyed sitting on the couch? We got restless, felt the urge to do something. Anything. Well almost, it was almost 40 C/100 F outside. So only something that was indoors.

Doing little chores

For us, it was difficult to just sit still at home. In a coffee shop, we’d have indulged in some people watching. At the beach, we’d have listened to the sound of the waves. But at home! My goodness, how awful, yes, awful, did it make us feel at first. We even resorted to ironing the mountain of clothes, a perceived month’s worth of clothing, though closer to a week’s only. We felt so much better after this dull activity that we could actually sit down and just enjoy that moment.

A little lie down

We opted for a little lie down. Yes, that’s right. From the couch to the bed and that’s when it happened. Watching the super blue sky, it was amazing. We didn’t mind that there was still no music playing. Feeling the texture of the soft comforter, seeing the vibrant colours of the outdoors, hearing nothing. It was so relaxing!

Look at the sky and sit still

Learn to sit still

Meditation is one tool that gives you the inner balance and, more importantly, that inner comfort to sit still. If you’re not into taking classes and prefer to explore meditation on your own, just google “meditation app” and you’ll get 313,000,000 results within in 0.38 seconds! It’s a huge business. Apps like Headspace and Insight Timer are just two which offer outstanding transformational support.

Are you up for a challenge? Try to sit still this week! What happened? So often, it’s then when all these thoughts start racing through your mind. Where you surprised how long you could just sit there? Share your experience with us!

Until next time,
Agni

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