Being busy makes us serious.
Would you agree?
When you get caught up in the to do lists, the fullness of the day, the distractions all around you, it takes a lot of focus and will power to stay with the things you set out to do for the day, the week and the month.
Focus means to narrow down what you allow into your awareness: to exclude information and extraneous goings–on, to stay on topic in order to manage and complete the tasks as quickly as possible.
It also reduces awareness of your body and emotional state. You lose sight of your heart and body wisdom. You move into your head and stay there, bringing in your will to maintain focus. That makes you serious.
When you are serious, you put more meaning on what is going on around you. Any interruption, any distraction links all of a sudden to a story, gaining more power and strength as you contemplate the significance and impact of the story. Automatic responses increase, making you more irritated and frustrated and disrupting your internal balance and flow.
Then it becomes more difficult to stay focused, and you move down the spiral…
Not helpful when you want to get something done!
So, what to do?
I often like to explore opposites. When I am getting serious and into focus mode, can I also have awareness of my light –heartedness, my playfulness?
If I consider my task that needs to be accomplished, can I bring the unexpected to it and create a better feeling experience? Can I bring all of myself, my body, my smart mind and my emotions to it?
Often play may feel frivolous when so much – too much – needs to be done. What is your stance on this? Do you tend keep playtime for later, when the work is done, as some kind of reward?
If so, turn that pattern upside own for a while, and be curious about what happens as a result.
Reflect on what it means to you to be playful. Can you be more childlike and explore how you could turn any activity into something playful and light –hearted?
What would washing the dishes look like? What food would appear on your plate, and how would it be arranged or decorated? How would you open a conversation with a friend or family member? What clothes or jewellery would you pick?
What would the spreadsheet or email look like or a workshop outline?
What activity would you choose in the middle of the day to shake things up a bit or in the evening after dinner? Can you gather friends or family for a spontaneous game night?
Play gets you out of the rut, out of established patterns. It creates a deeper connection to yourself, often revealing more clearly your true state of being. Life can then be experienced as less fixed and serious, allowing the potential for new ideas and possibilities to enter into your lives smoothly.
Being able to move freely between serious and play allows you to stay in the flow – and that is a good thing in my experience.
Go and shake it up!
If you find some challenges in creating this change in perspective for yourself, let’s have a conversation and explore how I can support you in making this happen.