I realize today that I have not been taking as much time lately to enjoy the quiet moments. Life is so full with friends and family and activity (which is truly a blessing) but I also must remember that there are those pauses between breaths. Before the inhale becomes and exhale there is a pause, nearly imperceptible but it is there. This is a constantly available reminder to enjoy those moments. Those moments where nothing needs to occur but simply exist.
Why not take one of those moments for yourself right now?
Showing posts with label calm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calm. Show all posts
Monday, November 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
calm begets calm
Life does not need to be as complex and stressful as people, organizations and government makes it, but often it is. Since chaos tends to beget chaos, carrying a sense of calm can defuse the some of chaos that may surround us and make daily living full of ease. The more people take this approach, the more the chaos in the world will dissipate.
In my life, chaos mostly surrounds me at work. Sometimes it is a single client that is immersed and emitting erratic energy and behaviors, sometimes it is the inherent manic energy of the mental health system and sometimes it is an internal struggle that is riling up the waters of the soul. There are times when all of these and more happen concurrently.
How do I deal with this? For me, it's a combination of rational thoughts, keeping myself grounded, surrounding myself with supportive, loving people, setting solid boundaries between work and life, and having a daily yoga practice. There are times when some of these get off-kilter. I can feel this immediately and know I need to consciously get them back in check.
I often wonder if being submerged in chaos will eventually take it's toll on me. This makes me ponder how to make work itself more calm and also makes me think about future career goals. One thing I am sure of is having a private practice in a model that works for me; one which is calming for my clients and myself.
I am excited about what the future holds on so many levels.. My hope is to continue facing it all with as much calm as I can embody. Om shanti.
In my life, chaos mostly surrounds me at work. Sometimes it is a single client that is immersed and emitting erratic energy and behaviors, sometimes it is the inherent manic energy of the mental health system and sometimes it is an internal struggle that is riling up the waters of the soul. There are times when all of these and more happen concurrently.
How do I deal with this? For me, it's a combination of rational thoughts, keeping myself grounded, surrounding myself with supportive, loving people, setting solid boundaries between work and life, and having a daily yoga practice. There are times when some of these get off-kilter. I can feel this immediately and know I need to consciously get them back in check.
I often wonder if being submerged in chaos will eventually take it's toll on me. This makes me ponder how to make work itself more calm and also makes me think about future career goals. One thing I am sure of is having a private practice in a model that works for me; one which is calming for my clients and myself.
I am excited about what the future holds on so many levels.. My hope is to continue facing it all with as much calm as I can embody. Om shanti.
Monday, August 31, 2009
me in my office
So here I am at work. No clients at the time, but lots and lots of paperwork. I figure I have about seven months to finish up my 3,000 supervised hours and then I will have my full license. This seems so far away yet so close. Seven months seems to be a good time frame for planning a private practice. Not only will a private practice provide additional income, but it will also give me the opportunity to practice in the mental health field in a capacity that would feed my soul while helping others.
Working in an outpatient clinic, like I do now, is a non-stop onslaught of busyness. There is a never ending source of new clients that need services. Unfortunately, many clinics and programs have closed due to cutbacks making the remaining ones are inundated on a daily basis. The population appears to be getting sicker and sicker as well. I do not fully understand how the whole mental health system works, but I wonder if it is designed as efficiently as possible. My guess would be no, it is not. Perhaps it worked years ago, but the design may not have evolved along with the needs of clients. Sometimes I wish I studied sociology to get a broader view of the needs of today's society in order to serve the population better as a whole. We as therapists may not be able to change the system in it's entirety, but we can choose to respond to it differently. Perhaps approaching the chaos with our own calm with play at least a small role in stabilizing the system.
In starting a private practice in the model that I am planning, it will be a good balance to the busyness of clinic work. I cannot wait until "my office" will truly mean MY office. Until that time, I will continue using prana in facing down the clinic chaos.
Happy mental health to you!
Working in an outpatient clinic, like I do now, is a non-stop onslaught of busyness. There is a never ending source of new clients that need services. Unfortunately, many clinics and programs have closed due to cutbacks making the remaining ones are inundated on a daily basis. The population appears to be getting sicker and sicker as well. I do not fully understand how the whole mental health system works, but I wonder if it is designed as efficiently as possible. My guess would be no, it is not. Perhaps it worked years ago, but the design may not have evolved along with the needs of clients. Sometimes I wish I studied sociology to get a broader view of the needs of today's society in order to serve the population better as a whole. We as therapists may not be able to change the system in it's entirety, but we can choose to respond to it differently. Perhaps approaching the chaos with our own calm with play at least a small role in stabilizing the system.
In starting a private practice in the model that I am planning, it will be a good balance to the busyness of clinic work. I cannot wait until "my office" will truly mean MY office. Until that time, I will continue using prana in facing down the clinic chaos.
Happy mental health to you!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
blue plate special
On Thursday, I took my dinner break around 4:00pm and decided to take a book and drive on over to a diner for a relaxed and comforting meal by myself. The place was quiet except for a few televisions broadcasting the news with low volume and a handful of regular elderly clientele indulging in pleasant conversation with their mates and enjoying their usual early dinners in this establishment where the waitstaff knows them by name.
The calm of the place was delightful. A sense of peace filled me as I casually read page after page of my book, while dipping bland french fries into some Heinz 57, avoiding turning the page with greasy fingers.
For that hour life was simple and stress-free and perfectly indulgent.
I need more moments like these.
The calm of the place was delightful. A sense of peace filled me as I casually read page after page of my book, while dipping bland french fries into some Heinz 57, avoiding turning the page with greasy fingers.
For that hour life was simple and stress-free and perfectly indulgent.
I need more moments like these.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
om in the home
Two nights in a row, I have succeeded at getting full, mostly restful nights sleep. I think it has helped having completed some deep cleaning in the bedroom; dusting, changing pillow cases, vacuuming and organizing. It amazes me how much more at ease I am when things are neat and organized. Not like this is some shocking revelation since I am fully aware how our surroundings affect us. It is more that I am amazed at the stark difference I feel between chaos and calm. This alone should be motivation enough to keep things clean and tidy, but I'm an artist at heart and like many artists I know, order is not an easy thing to keep.
On a positive, as I grow more aware of how I walk through life, I also become less attached to things. I find it much easier now to part with things than I have in the past. My goal now is to simplify. Yes, it is nice to have possessions, but I want to be realistic. I no longer want to hold on to stuff for the sake of having stuff. I want less things in order to be able to actively use the things I need and want to use, without extraneous things hindering this.
I want to keep my cleaning of the apartment as simple as: keep, toss, donate
I want to be realistic in the "oh, I use this such-and-such someday" and get rid of the "Yeah, I might use it eventually but right now it is useless and taking up too much space" things.
On a positive, as I grow more aware of how I walk through life, I also become less attached to things. I find it much easier now to part with things than I have in the past. My goal now is to simplify. Yes, it is nice to have possessions, but I want to be realistic. I no longer want to hold on to stuff for the sake of having stuff. I want less things in order to be able to actively use the things I need and want to use, without extraneous things hindering this.
I want to keep my cleaning of the apartment as simple as: keep, toss, donate
I want to be realistic in the "oh, I use this such-and-such someday" and get rid of the "Yeah, I might use it eventually but right now it is useless and taking up too much space" things.
Cleanse and purge the physical in order to calm the internal.
What I want is "om in the home".
Who's with me?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)