Buckling a Belt to Pull Yourself Together
BY ARLENE HARDER, MA, MFT
Today's Take-a-Break
To prevent yourself from getting frazzled and feeling torn in several directions, use an action you do several times a day — zipping or unzipping your jacket, washing your hands, sitting down in a chair — as a trigger to pull your attention into yourself.
Just one of these actions (or several of them) can act as a reminder to bring yourself back to a centered position. Take a deep breath and be aware of what you are doing, shutting out for the moment everything else. After all, you can't buckle a belt, make a meal, read a book, write a report, call a friend, weed the garden, vacuum the living room, get the car repaired, etc., etc., etc. at the same time.
See rest of article to understand the importance of these actions. |
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When I wrote this in 2003, I told readers that the idea came during that morning's meditation as I thought about the many jobs I had to do today, feeling a bit like the lady on the right. Needing to create a Take-a-Break for the newsletter I was writing at the time, I felt pulled in too many directions. How could I accomplish what was most important and let the rest of my jobs gradually work their way to the top of the list?
Almost as soon as I asked myself this question, I got the answer. Stay centered!
Such simple advice. Straightforward. Easy. Down-to-earth. Just the kind of recommendation I frequently hear from my wise inner core. However, the problem in following my great advice is, as always, in the execution. Just how do I stay centered when there are so many obligations and tasks pulling me in eight different directions?
Again, as I pondered the question of "how", the answer was immediate, but strange. "Buckle your belt." Huh? What kind of advice was that?
Nevertheless, I reached down to my waist and buckled my belt, which had been loosened so I could be comfortable for yoga and meditation. As I did this, I realized the action could draw my focus into myself so that I would feel less pulled apart by all the activities clamoring for my attention.
That's when I decided I would use this as my centering reminder today. When I take periodic bathroom breaks and am about to rebuckle the belt, I will consciously choose to pause, take a deep breath, and realize that I operate best when I'm not scattered all over the place but "pulled together."
This is why I've made today's suggestion for a Take-a-Break.
Consciously doing a single activity can remind you that your day is a series of single activities. After you've done that single activity, you can more calmly move on to the next. Remember, the world will always try to pull you into a thousand directions. This approach can help you take charge to at least a small degree.
Incidentally, if you've read other Take-a-Break pieces and articles such as Recovering Perfectionist Lesson 4: Sometimes You Have to Get Out of the Water, or Making Time for Zippers, you will know that cutting through the clutter of activities I create in my life is a frequent battle of mine. So I would love to hear of ways you are able to pull yourself together when the world is determined to pull you into many pieces.
© Copyright 2003, Arlene Harder, MA, MFT |
