The demands of life can be overwhelming at times.
There is nothing wrong with loving work. It is good to enjoy our professions and to support our families. However, there is a line that is very easy to cross, where we become servants to our jobs, and not simply because of our employers, but because of ourselves.
Don't get me wrong, helping others can bring us great joy, but we have to watch that we don't overdo and risk being of no help to anyone. By scheduling time for ourselves, we are able to be both helpful and healthy.
I think I may be the world's worst meditator. I've tried it off and on since my 20s, and I love the concept: quieting the mental noise, clearing away the chatter for a period of time, inviting stillness. But I am so bad at it.
It's important to realize that most of us have multiple stressors in our life, and tackling them all at once can be overwhelming and counterproductive. Instead, start with one big stressor or several smaller stressors and test the waters.
Maybe as we celebrate National Work and Family Month, organizations can reaffirm their stance on why vacation time is important to the employee -- to come back refreshed and rejuvenated.
I don't know about you, but my GPS system has taken me off-route sometimes to some pretty crazy places. When I go off onto those dark roads that just don't seem quite right, I actually defy my GPS and force it to recalculate my route. The same is true in my life.
While I can't claim that one unplugged week has cured me of the compulsion to check for Facebook likes, I'm going to make a conscious effort to spend less time in the virtual world and more time tuned in to my experience in the present moment.
Last weekend 25,000 people participated in National Plug In Day events to celebrate the benefits of electric cars and meet with those who have already chosen to drive oil-free.
How many people can say they spent time at both the Republican and Democratic convention and came away feeling calm and recharged? Well, anyone who spent time at the Huffington Post Oasis, which was a world away from the crowds and chaos.
Of course most of us have a vague understanding that for our own safety, when it comes to dealing with high-voltage situations, it is critical to "ground" the electricity. The primary purpose of this is, in fact, to reduce the risk of serious electric shock.
In his book Hamlet's Blackberry, author William Powers gives us tips from the pages of history for navigating the virtual world with grace. Here are my favorites.
If using our brains in complicated ways, if memorization and challenging recall help to stave off Alzheimer's and the effects of Parkinson's, why are we allowing for these trade-for-brain technologies in every area of life?
We're all a little anxious about intimacy, aren't we? After all, letting people in is inherently risky. Which means that even though we won't all go to extremes, everyone's at risk for the occasional retreat -- and technology offers plenty of places to hide.
We all need to disconnect sometimes, even when we think we don't. So next time you're on vacation and you see a beautiful ocean, enjoy it -- don't Instagram it.
It turns out that having a challenging career can actually be quite good for you. Counter to what we often hear, a landmark study recently found that certain types of stress are linked to living longer lives.
The stress and strains of our always-connected lives can sometimes take us off course. GPS For The Soul can help you find your way back to balance. ...
When we talk about bullies, we typically place them at school. Bullying in school and its devastating impact on those who are bullied has made its way into mainstream consciousness. But bullying doesn't stop at the school level.
As individuals, we need not wait so long to evolve professionally, socially and spiritually - if we ride the winds of change to a higher plane.
