Breaking Free from the Trap of Time: How Being Present Combat Burnout
In today's fast-paced world, stress has become a norm. We're always on the go, juggling numerous tasks and responsibilities. While some might downplay it, the truth is stress affects us all in some way or another.
Think about it: have you ever watched those funny videos of parents struggling with their kids or seen the chaos unfold in a busy office? If you've ever related to those situations, then stress is definitely a part of your life too. But here's the thing: chronic stress and burnout can sneak up on us in various ways.
Maybe you're overworking yourself, neglecting self-care, or feeling overwhelmed by conflicting demands. Perhaps you have a tough boss or feel pressured to strive for perfection constantly. Whatever the reason, stress can affect our mental and physical well-being.
So, how do we break free from this cycle? Well, it starts with our perception of time. Traditional time management techniques can help boost productivity, but they won't necessarily prevent burnout. We need to shift our focus to something more profound – the present moment.
The problem with time
The problem with time is that we constantly dangle between the past and the future, forgetting that the only real moment is the present. Being present must be a regular practice; the mind tends to avoid the now. Whenever you feel sad, regret something, or feel inadequate, notice that you are bringing the past to your present moment because all these feelings must come from past experiences. In the present, you are well; nothing is happening. The mind also likes to dwell in the future, playing with imagination, thinking that it will be better or worse than the present; if you feel it will be better, you start to feel hope and anticipated pleasure if you believe it will be worse you begin to feel anxiety, the truth is both are illusory. The only real moment that exists is the present independently if you contaminate it with the past or the future. When you can be present and observe your mind, you are not trapped in time anymore and will feel good.
Psychological Time
Eckhart Tolle, the author of The Power of Now, explains the idea of psychological time, "the identification with the past, and continuos compulsive projection into the future". We all need to plan and schedule things, but regularly we transform regular time management into psychological time.
You can check if psychological time is playing a role in your life by asking yourself:
Are you always trying to get somewhere other than where you are?
Is most of your doing just a means to an end?
Is fulfillment always about to come and never arriving?
Are you attached to short-lived pleasures? Such as food, sex, drink, drugs…
Are you always focused on achieving, becoming, or attaining something?
Are you waiting for someone to give meaning to your life?
The trap of time
It's common to envision the future as a better place than the present. Unfortunately, the truth is that most of the time, the future is a replica of the past, especially if your mind carries a heavy burden from the past and if you do the same things every day automatically and unconsciously. The quality of your consciousness determines your ability to create a different future, and your presence and self-knowledge determine it.
All forms of negativity come from accumulated psychological time and a lack of presence. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry, and all forms of fear are caused by too much future. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past.
One piece of the puzzle
If you want to stop chronic stress burnout and feel good daily, one crucial step is to learn to be present in the NOW. Start practicing your awareness, notice what you have around you, use your senses, colors, smells, touch things, and feel where you are, here in this moment. Listen to the sounds, observe your surroundings, and start to observe your thoughts. If you are doing any activity, try to be fully present, using your senses to bring you to the present moment. I love to practice it when I have to do chores like doing the dishes or even walking the dogs. It opens a new layer of your consciousness.
