Life Around Us

Time is a fleeting thing.. we all know it yet we pay little attention to it.

The other day while I was spending time waiting for my side job to start, I got to thinking.. I should probably relax a little bit instead of work, work, work while I'm here. So I ended my post writing a little early.. so I could just sit there and watch the world instead of constantly work and engage the mind.

I think this is a little bit of a trend I've got going on. Nothing earth shattering but I've been trying to consciously spend time in silence instead of constantly having things going all the time. I folded clothes the other night without listening to a podcast, something I really enjoy doing. I think this is important!

We have so many distractions and things buzzing, going on all around us. We need to find small ways in which we can turn things off and just enjoy some technology-free moments. Turn the TV off, put the phone down and just do something mindlessly but free of noise and things going on.

I think this is a really important way to approach life. Evolutionarily, our ancestors didn't have 24/7 technology humming at them. They had nature and things going on around them for sure but not things that could distract their entire attention and tune out the world around them like we do now. We certainly have primal instincts to keep us alive, and our brain won't be able to turn those off without great effort but at the same time, we need to allow it to just wander.

It was relaxing just letting my mind wander, watching the things going on around me for 4 or 5 minutes and just sitting there breathing. It was not something I've done a lot in the past which I think I would like to change going forward in the future. It's not always going to be possible that's for sure, but for example last year I would take a breather from my work day and just sit outside in the sun for 10 minutes. Listen to the birds, listen to the animals around and just living life. It's important to be able to disconnect like that!

I think that's one of the issues with the world that we live in today. I think us constantly being connected in so many ways is why we are so high strung, so anxious and ready for action or fighting. It's a really fascinating thing to think about because our bodies are so incredibly complex and wired in many ways that we don't understand scientifically, but it does it. A lot of this constant engagement and stimulation to the brain regions are certainly a product to keep us in a constant state of action, a constant state of fight-or-flight.

I think this is getting into the consciousness now though. Just today while I was working, I was talking to a colleague and he mentioned that he's taking active steps to stop scrolling, stop the dopamine train and be more present. Read a physical book, not have phones or screens in front of us going 24/7. This is important because that means more people are making the intentional decision to stop the bullshit and try to get back to a simpler way of doing things, at least for a break.

What about you, do you think you should spend more time disconnected from the technology and just watch life around you? Let me know in the comments!