Sometimes time is all it takes

I was talking with a group of people in my office yesterday informally about stress, sleep and the need to take a deep breath. We all run to fast, try to fit in to many activities, try to make too many decisions and end up not delivering on our true capabilities.

I'm often reminded of a lyric by Lead Belly " Sometimes I live in the country, sometimes I live in town. Sometimes I take a great notion, to jump into the river and drown". It also the title of Ken Kesey's fantastic second book written after 'one flew over the cuckoo's nest' but that's for another time.

It’s not the most cheerful quote, but it often describes the feeling I get then work becomes nonstop, travel becomes nonstop, and you don't feel like you can get ahead or escape. The never-ending to do list or the ever-burning spot fires.

Over the last 12 months I have realised, through the support of my peers, staff, family, friends and therapists, that time is sometimes all we need. We need to take time out of our hectic lives for ourselves. Its doesn’t need to be much. Two hours a week, for me, a game of tennis one evening, and maybe a swim at the weekend. Or maybe just a change of work location for a day. Something that is time for just me, time for my thoughts to drift away. Time to meditate of sorts.

Which brings me to meditation, I was a cynic, master of the universes, capable of anything, no need for such 'therapies'. I was wrong, one hundred percent wrong. Meditation on daily or every other day, is a fantastic tool, it helps me enormously clear my mind, rest my mind and reduce anxiety and stress.

Now whenever I think about Lead Belly and "Sometime I live in the country...." The quote stops.

"I always live in the town, I love life, I treasure my time, I respect my mental health"

PS. if you need a place to start with meditation, the HeadSpace App is great