The Subtle Art of Being Still

#MondayWithAimée

Learn to be.

You can be focused on doing, on being productive and accomplishing tasks, but your worth is not in what you do. You worth is there because you exist. You are worthy because you breathe and you’ve been created and you exist, and that is enough.

We, as a society, are so focused on doing, it’s like it’s the justification of our existence. You must do things to exist, otherwise, who even are you and what are you to this world? Right now, we are all forced to stop doing, because there is not much that we can all do. We are forced to stop and some of us are not good at stopping. A lot of us are confronted with their own selves, the thing we are not used to because sometimes in doing and being productive, you consciously hide or you lose who you truly are and you only define yourself by the tasks you’ve accomplished.

What I want to encourage you to do is simple, learn to stop and spend time with yourself. Learn to sit with your thoughts and a cup of tea and chat with them. Stop this crazy sprint you are on and rest. There will never be a time like this, where you are allowed to stop and be still. I said it before and I will say it again, sweethearts, there is no pressure on your shoulders right now. Yes, there are scary things happening and you might be nervous about plenty of others, but while you’re forced to stay still, let your mind be still as well.

When was the last time that you sat at the kitchen table with a fuming tea, listening to the sound of silence, enjoying sip by sip, because you are in no rush?

When was the last time you spent an hour in bed reading a book, just because no one is pressuring you to get up and go out?

When was the last time you binge-watched a show for the whole day and stayed in your pjs the whole time?

When was the last time you spent hours cleaning your room or your place, and dancing to music, not because you felt like the place was messy, but because you had time to enjoy a deep reset?

When was the last time you could garden for hours, listening to the soft songs of birds?

When was the last time you went on walks with your dog twice a day?

When was the last time you really played with your younger sibling?

All those things, maybe you did them but out of habit, or because of your routine or your discipline. A routine and discipline are good to have, trust me, but are you enjoying yourself while you do them? The tasks you force yourself to do, are they making you feel better? Or are you doing them just for the sake of discipline and because they seem like the right thing to do?

Maybe you’re scared you’re going to look or feel like you’re not doing anything. Why do you feel this need to do something, or at least to look like you are? You might say that there is always something to do, yes there is, but there is also time. There is a time to do work and there is a time to rest. The keyword is balance.

We all have a different notion of comfort and of self-care. I will not give you a list of self-care tips, because there are plenty on the internet, but also because you know best what to do to take care of yourself. It’s different for everyone and it needs balance. Just learn to balance out the things that are productive and the task you accomplish with time to rest not only your body but your mind as well. I know it’s not the easiest task because well, for one, it’s subtle and vague, but it will better your quality of life, to stop rushing and running all the time. It’s also not easy because it goes the opposite of a lot of what we learn nowadays. We are taught to be productive and find ways to do more in less time, but it’s not always about that. Make sure not to tire you out, you are still so young and you have time ahead of you. Life is a marathon, and you have to keep energy and focus for the whole time, so sometimes, it requires slowing down to a pace that is more comfortable and taking breaks to rest and drink water. 

Learn to do and enjoy doing, but learn to enjoy the stillness of your being. You exist and that makes you worthy. You are not defined by what you accomplish or how much work you can get done in a day.

Take care of yourself and slow down, not only in your action but in your brain too. Slow down and breathe it out. Slow down and lift your head up and look around. Life has much more to offer when you look at it.

I look forward to seeing you and hug you tight but for now, virtual hugs will have to suffice! You can go check out the Facebook and Instagram pages, as always, we are working hard to give you warm and fuzzy hugs through our words.

Stay safe and soft,

Aimée.

Rest, stillness, take time, calm

(photo by Hernan Sanchez)