The Importance of Connecting

From mad women to yogi.

It’s amazing how much my life has changed since moving out of the city.
Everything seems calmer and clearer, people seem to be involved more within the community and it isn’t uncommon to strike up conversation with a complete stranger at the supermarket about how their day is going.

I take my dog Cosmo for a walk every morning to get perspective on things and allow myself to think of positive thoughts only which set a good tone for the day.
Every single person who is also out walking, washing their car or running after their kids stops and yells out “good morning” and each and every time it puts a smile on my face.

When I was living the city going a million miles an hour this never happened.  While I stopped saying “hello” to strangers walking by it never crossed my mind that it was unusual  or uncommon because like me, everyone was running from one place to another with their eyes locked onto their iphone sending emails, earphones attached taking work related calls all while trying not to run into anyone in their way.
It’s as if we have become disconnected and pulled under by our over committed schedule’s we have forgotten to acknowledge people and use the basic human instinct of connecting with others.

With technology so accessible these days and our work load becoming overwhelming at times it’sn so easy to forget to stop, breathe and acknowledge what’s going on around you.

The days are gone where I feel guilty if I don’t reply instantly to an email at 10.30pm or not listen to what others are saying because I’m too distracted by the text message I received.

I made a commitment this year to look after myself and going at an unrealistic pace isn’t healthy for me or my relationships with others.

I now turn my phone off at 8pm which allows me to relax and get grounded.
Whether it’s a nice warm bath or sitting down with a good book (Fifty Shades) it allows me to clear the fog out of my mind which in turn helps me work more efficiently the next day.

Although I may not be talking to my friends after 8pm, when I do talk to them and see them I give them my undivided attention and  enjoy what is going on around me which creates a much healthier relationship.

I encourage you to take the challenge:

• Say good morning to familiar faces and thank people who have served
• Turn your phone off while you are at with friends and family
• Give yourself a minimum of 30 mins per day to relax and focus on no-one other than yourself, without feeling guilty
• Remember you are only human and not superwoman, don’t over commit out of fear of putting people out. Quality is far being than quantity.

I would love to hear your thoughts and also your favourite ways to relax.