"Peace in your mind, peace on earth, peace at work, peace at home, peace in the world"
John Lennon
How often do you hear yourself saying “I’m so exhausted” or “I’m run off my feet?”
The word ‘exhausted’ means ‘completely used up.’ It is such a common complaint and yet it implies that we have used everything that we have to give and can give no more.
It also implies that we were only given so much to begin with.
In our previous article “How to Protect Yourself” we described how to avoid becoming drained of energy in certain situations and in the presence of others.
In our article “How to Reclaim your Energy” we showed you how to pull back energy which had been lost or given away throughout your day.
This week we want to talk about sustaining our energy by cultivating peace in the workplace, wherever that is for you.
Most of us imagine that we begin the day with a fixed amount of energy which has been magically restored to us overnight through sleep.
We imagine that we feel this becoming increasingly depleted as we complete our tasks. The more tasks we have and the greater the difficulty, the more of our energy is ‘used up.’
At the end of the day it feels as if we have none left.
What if there was no finite supply?
What if we could create energy and replenish ourselves throughout the day?
What if we could sustain the levels that we began with and leave the working day behind with a plentiful supply rather than running on fumes?
What if there was another way?
Instead of imagining every day as a race through the tasks ahead with a limited supply of energy until we finally get to collapse on the sofa with a glass of wine to ‘relax,’ we can actually learn to find peace where we are.
Let us once again discuss presence.
When we practice mindfulness, we learn to become fully aware of only the present moment.
We understand both past and future to be illusions.
We learn that only in the present moment do we have actual power.
We understand that images of the past and future are created in our minds, but they are only a product of our thinking. (
Here is a link to our article which shows you "How to Achieve Mindfulness."
Unless we aim to live more mindfully and consciously in the present moment, then the race through our workday tasks becomes a living hell.
When we are not present we are not effective.
Rather than looking forward to a future projection, what if we can have it peace right now? All the time?
‘How to Rise – A Complete Resilience Manual’ from Sheldon Press has a specific tool for creating peace wherever you are. It has over 60 additional tools and techniques to help improve your mental wellbeing, reduce burnout and allow you to take control of your life.
I am feeling this way today. Going to try to hit pause for a little while. Great advice.