By Dr. Elliot Lysyk, DC ~ Vernon Chiropractor

Thinking about lunch while you’re eating breakfast?

Let’s face it—settling into the present moment isn’t really in our nature these days. There’s just too much to do, and if you aren’t actually doing those things, then you’re thinking—no, stressing—about doing them.

We live in very busy times. Erroneously, we feel that if we can just clear existing tasks and instantly respond to messages as they arrive on our phone, we can create a future moment that feels less burdened…and THEN we can finally relax a bit. But, behold, our future moments become our present ones, and we find ourselves in a catch-22.

It’s kind of ironic that our summer, which is anticipated all year long as a time to unwind and chill, can sometimes become a time of overwhelm and anxiousness as we try to pack it all in, even if what we’re trying to pack in are adventure and fun. This is my personal affliction, trying to create epic moments and adventures and as many varied experiences as my nervous system will allow (sometimes driving my family crazy, I’m sure).

But even I find time to unwind and slow down because it truly is important for our overall health and wellness. Here are a few tips to start slowing down and savouring these last few weeks of summer:

1. Begin a simple meditation practice each day. No, it doesn’t have to be a 10-day silent retreat with gongs and ohm It can just be a simple exercise to watch our breathing and let go of thoughts as they arise. At first, 5-10 minutes per day will do. Over time, this can have a profound effect on your mood and stress levels, making you realize just how much you spend time worrying about unimportant things. Most of your focus is likely on everything outside yourself, out there. Not having enough time to spend on your inner realm to help embolden who you really are inside, where happiness truly comes from, well, this might be your biggest problem.
2. Stop giving so much energy to non-essential items in your life. Spend some time outlining what is truly important to you and focus on prioritizing the tasks that will bring fruition to our life. Let everything else go.
3. You’ve heard it before, 1,000 times—get comfortable saying no. It doesn’t have to mean no forever, just no for now. We can feel so obligated to say yes to every invite, but often protecting your time and space to explore what your inner self really wants is the best thing. I have learned to ask myself, “Am I doing this because I truly want to, or am I doing it out of a sense of obligation?” Oblige the important things, and then release yourself to pursue more of your inner desires and see how that makes you feel.
4. Did I mention meditation? Many doctors are climbing aboard the meditation train in support of a daily practice because the research is so clear on how it can lower stress levels and improve your neurohormonal balance, leading to greater happiness. Why not make a daily plan to be happier? What can be more important than that?

Call (250) 275-7616 to make an appointment with Dr. Elliot