Be honest.
Life can sometimes feel like a drag, almost like a chore, right?
So assuming you’re human and your life isn’t perfect, I thought I’d share my thoughts.
Stop Wandering – Set Up Camp Here
People like me are always itching to move on, do more, find a better spot and it often feels like the next job, car, house, or holiday will be the answer – but deep down, we know it isn’t.
Stop looking out, and look in.
Look down at your feet, you’ve already arrived.
The wrestlessness you feel won’t fade much by changing your surroundings, you’ll just take it with you.
Stillness – Be Bored, Try Doing Nothing.
Constant motion mostly leads to exhaustion, not peace, and whilst feeling tired can feel like an accomplishment, it’s not the solution.
Being tired is not the same as being relaxed, so put effort into finding peace and moments of stillness.
Go hippy if you like, works for me, you know, like watch the flickering flame on a candle, play the sound of waves, meditation tapes, or simply take time out to watch clouds float by.
And hold someone’s hand if you’re really struggling.
Be sure to find your own mental campfire. Mine is when I’m with my family, or after exercise or when I’m alone outdoors. It’s a mental place, not always a physical place for me now. I don’t need to be with people. That’s probably my greatest learning in recent years.
Lighten Your Load – Physically and Mentally
Don’t trek through life carrying a heavy load.
Physically – How much stuff do you really need?
Declutter your house, car, shed, and garage.
Empty the cupboards, bin the cracked plates, recycle old clothes, chuck the half pots of paint and broken pencils. Empty that draw!
How many mugs do you have? Exactly!
Mentally – Remove low-quality contacts and connections from your phone. Stop holding onto friendships that no longer exist. Learn to stop people-pleasing.
Don’t carry what you don’t need – it will only slow you down and keep you from finding new adventures.
Face the Storms with Courage – He Says…
Restlessness often comes from avoiding life’s storms.
Facing your fears and anxieties head-on can bring the peace you’ve been searching for all along. For me, giving up drinking was my storm. But every storm ends, and the air is always fresher after, and for me it’s now hangover-free. What storm are you avoiding? Ask your friends, they can often see it easier than you.
You are choosing to be that busy.
Stop distracting yourself and instead choose change.
Reconnect with Nature.
Get a dog, walk the trails, watch the flicker of a campfire and make time to gaze up at the clouds or stare over a pond.
When life feels too loud, too fast and you feel stressed and disconnected, return to nature.
Go to the forest, the mountains, the sea – as a minimum get outdoors.
You might even take a bath.
Life doesn’t have to be a constant rush unless you let it. Reconnecting with nature is like resetting your internal compass, and it can point you back to what matters.
Turn on your moral compass also, if you can.
Don’t cheat yourself or others.
Trust the Journey.
Restlessness often comes from trying to control what’s next. But just as some of the best nights out are the ones you didn’t plan, you need to embrace the new opportunities.
Be sure to leave space for the unexpected and let life’s twists and turns shape you.
Lower the bar, a bit low, lower still.
Not everything has to be Instagram-worthy. Some days just getting through without spilling coffee on yourself is a win. It’s OK to recognise that sometimes it’s just shit, but it wont always be this shit.
Keep the Fire Inside Burning.
Your passions, dreams, and values are what define you most, especially internally. If something or someone doesn’t sit right with you, there are always more seats, let them know or move yourself.
Remember: It’s the Journey, Not the Destination (I hate myself for saying it, but it’s true)
The chase for “what’s next” is just a distraction. The new ‘thing’ won’t excite you for long, and trust me, noone cares about your new car or haircut, so you better hope you’re doing it for yourself.
So, enjoy the hike.
Try to embrace having dishes to wash and a dog to walk in the rain, and a discounted ham sandwich to eat because at the end of the day….
All we really have is now.
If none of this helps, have you thought about talking to a Samaritan?
Talking to a professional listener is a great way to unpacking your challenges. Once challenges and feelings are unpacked it’s often much easier to see them for what they are, or maybe what they represent.
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