Have you noticed that, since work started again, your perception of time is so different from the holidays? Back then, there was no schedule, no deadlines; anything was allowed, and if it wasn’t finished, you could continue tomorrow. Now, things have to be done again —and preferably now, too. The pressure is on!
For me, during the holidays, it felt like I was gently floating in time. It was all around me. And now I’m trying to hold on to it, and it’s slipping through my fingers. The result is: haste. A rushed feeling of lack of time that threatens to cast a gray veil over everything. And I don’t want that.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about these kinds of things: with everything I’ve learned and practiced in my life, surely I can come up with a solution for this? So I’ve been pondering this phenomenon for a week or so. And I’ve come to a surprising conclusion. Namely, that it’s not a matter of time management, eliminating unnecessary tasks, and so on. No, I found Columbus’ egg somewhere completely different. Namely: in what I call microstops.
Microstops? Hm, that sounds like you’re constantly interrupting a flow.
But that’s not what I mean. When you’re in a truly pleasant flow, there’s nothing wrong with your perception of time. But when you’re in that “argh, time is slipping away” mode, there’s definitely no flow. And when I notice that, I stop for a moment.
During that stop, I don’t look at my phone; I don’t mean that kind of pause. I become silent for a moment. Listen to the sounds around me and soften my eyes and face (because, gosh, that tight mask of haste: it’s not pretty!). And then I check my neck. Is it tight? Could it be softer? And what about my head? Does it balance loosely on my atlas, or is it somewhere between my shoulders? And my back? Is it bent like a shrimp? Could there be more space? To breathe?
I continue like this for a while. Until I’m practically floating in the silence and space. Tada! That holiday feeling is back.
No time for this shit? Yes, of course, that’s a choice. It only takes me a minute, that’s all. Give it a try!
photo: Carlos Torres
