So, it's been such a long time since I posted anything in here-technology really does take a back-seat when I'm busy. When I think about sitting down at the computer or sitting down with a book, there's no competition. Not that I don't love writing, cause I certainly do but I don't love the fact that once I get going with writing, I can lose hours and then nothing else gets done. With a book, I can more easily put it down. My train of thought doesn't have to remember all that I've written, when I restart reading a book. I simply have to re-read a couple of lines and I know where I'm at.
Technology and I have a bit of a love/Hate relationship, if I'm honest. I love the speed with which I can discover something online and also the instant contact that I can make with people. I'm not so chuffed with the whole being constantly connected idea in general though and I think that we will see our young folk suffering from stress at a much younger age, if something is not done to stem-the-tide of multi-tasking.
Multi-tasking is one of the things that sets us humans above the rest of the animal kingdom but it really can become a bit of a problem when the multi-tasking turns into mindless auto-pilot. At that point, our awareness of what we're multi-tasking becomes diminished and we are often unable to remember how we got somewhere or how we did something or where we put something or that we were supposed to be somewhere different from usual.
Lots of people, during middle-age, begin to feel the effects of too much multi-tasking and find themselves forgetful and anxious. My concern is that our young people will experience this in their 20's and 30's if they don't regularly fit in some quiet mindfulness into their lives.
Most of the people I work with are suffering from the effects of, for want of a better term, an overactive imagination.........and not in a good way. They are either:
A. Feeling depressed because they are spending too much time in the past, wishing they'd done something differently or said something better or had something different happen. Having regrets will not bring the opportunity to change what happened. It will still have happened. All we can do is accept that what is in the past is in the past and change how we'll do things in the future. If it's not something that we've done that we want to change, we have to bravely make the choice to forgive whatever/whoever is causing the regrets and move forward. I'm not saying that it's the easiest path but I am convinced that it's the path to the happiness that we all deserve to experience. Letting go of the past with all it's loss, guilt, anger, resentment, shame and control are all possible with the help of Bach flower remedies. They can help to bring you into the present moment to feel what's real at this moment.......which may be anything from sadness to fear......and to allow you to accept these feelings for what they are, which in turn will allow you to pass through them and out of the other side.
B. Feeling anxious because they are spending too much time worrying about a future that may never happen. If you are imagining the worst case scenario and it happens, you've actually lived it at least twice and often more times than that. Bringing your imagination back from the future to the present minute can help reduce anxious thoughts if you are someone who labels themselves as a worrier. Being able to experience the present moment allows you to feel what needs felt right now, whatever that is. Feeling your feelings for right now and accepting that they will pass whether they are good or bad ones, again is not the easiest path but it will help you to feel less anxious and out of control.
As I type, I'm sitting in a noisy space in a Hotel. Some peoples voices are just sooooooo loud. There are lots of people here and yet I was unaware of any voices until a couple sat down on the opposite side of the bar.....far away. And yet I can hear every word that they are saying. Why would you want everyone in the place to know exactly what you are saying? Beech, I need some Beech and I do not have my remedy box here. I know that my remedy bottle does not have it in but I think that I do have Cherry Plum, so better glug some. Okay, that's done. I suppose it could be partially to do with the fact that I'm on my third Latte and the caffeine may be having an effect.........Mmmmmm??
Okay, back to remedies that keep us in the present. White Chestnut helps you to switch off thoughts that are going round and round in your head. Whether they are thoughts about things in the past or in the future, it will help to quieten the worries or repetition. Aspen is the remedy for fears of an unknown origin and if you are someone who feels anxious when there is an unknown element about the future, this remedy will help diminish that. Clematis is the remedy for those who daydream about the future and all that it holds (good or bad) but who find it difficult to stay in the present to make anything actually happen, in reality. Clematis helps you to get started on a list and make things happen. Honeysuckle is the remedy which is almost the opposite because it helps to bring your thoughts back from the past to the present. Good or bad thoughts can have the emotion taken out of them so that they are just memories with no emotional hold over you. Red Chestnut is the remedy for those who spend too much time being over-concerned with the safety of their loved ones or those who they are responsible for. This remedy helps you to let go of fears and allow yourself to feel supportive of people rather than scared for them.
There are loads of other remedies that I could mention. Pine for being stuck in guilt, Holly for being stuck in anger, Willow for being stuck in resentments but I am having to wind up.
The loud people are still loud. They must want everyone to know about the big important people that are coming here to attend their big important event...............UGH.
For those of you who think that I am always balanced and non-judgemental......this is proof that I am just as able to feel negative emotions as you are. My saving grace is that I have my remedy box which lets me take the remedy which quickly balances the emotion so that I don't have to keep feeling negative.
Lesson learned.......take the remedy box EVERYWHERE.
Sending out lots of love to one and all,
Lxxx
Posted on Wed, April 16, 2014
by Linsey Denham