by The world is noisy. That simple statement may go against the grain of modern living, but truly, its noisiness comes at a price in shapes and forms.
But the most expensive one would be the quality of our living.
The level of noise, its intensity and impact throws us into the brink of an edge.
Everyone is edgy these days, from hectic schedules, to endless paperwork, to unparalleled work expectations, to sleep deprivation; our lives are caught in the entanglement of the woes of living that even sipping a cup of coffee needs to be on a hurry.
In all this entanglement, the body screams for a little break. However we seldom listen to it because well this modern living would tag a hefty price on it.
We equate our busy lives with the panoramic view of success, productivity, goal-mindset and social status.
On the other side of the equation, we see “rest” or a “healthy escapade” as an outdated thing because we imbibe the cultural syndrome of “FOMOs”. Fear of Missing Out.
But in this regard, a FOMO for work.
Hence, we dive into the monstrosity of what’s being demanded from us, despite the inner struggle to cope with stress, burnout, over fatigue, repressed mental discord and emotional straints. We are slaves of this generation’s “there’s not enough time”.
But the horrifying truth is, the moment you don’t recognize the value “pause”, the dark moanings of the hustle culture will chain you to a cycle of a rat race.
The No Face Monster
I like watching anime created by the brilliant mind of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli. In particular, I am drawn to one of his grotesque characters named “No-Face” from the movie Spirited Away.
I couldn’t help but think that in our modern living, we always grapple with the harsh realities of life which become our personal “No-Face monsters”.
It can be with our financial struggles, family discord, fallout from friends, the daily grind to pursue promotion or even our inner lack of motivation.
But there’s one monster, a No-Face one which we love to masquerade in. Something that everyone does, and yet we are little aware how we are enslaved by it.
When we were young, the popular opinion to grow your circle would be this line “Just go with the flow”. You wouldn’t want to find yourself in an awkward situation in which you’re rocking the boat with a different ideology.
You need to win friends, and so you timidly go with the flow. Which, I believe for a time being works with the right people.
The great caveat? It’s sustainably healthy if you are surrounded with the right people. But, it is not enough that you have the right people, you need people with the right mindset.
In a workplace setup, most employees “go with the flow”. A habit that’s born out of a noble mission, to achieve the corporate goals.
In recent years, going with the flow has often stagnated the values and great qualities of a workplace culture. It has become an unwritten rule of communication to “never question” those in authority, or as rudimentary as it is “be silent”.
A sustainable and healthy workplace is always evolving from outdated myths. It should strive to achieve a balance between the new trends to adopt healthy practices.
The “Go with the Flow” movement has made a huge impact in the past, but the pressures and demands of modern living, calls to debunk its long-held beliefs.
On matters of longevity, health and workplace habits; going with the flow is the No-face monster that needs to be re-evaluated and redeemed if necessary from the clutches of the hustle culture.
While there are huge rewards of having a goal-oriented life, it is definitely counterintuitive if you consider the quality of life you want to experience.
Going with the flow will simply convince you to be silent on matters that need change, to be nonchalant on the unhealthy corporate practices.
Don’t be hush, don’t sit idle and be carried away by popular opinions who are in reality like the No-Face monster. Remember, popular opinions are so common these days. And if you want to imbibe this commonality, you will risk living a common life, dragged by the loopholes of the work conundrum.
One way to combat this faceless monster is to take hold of your personal and career life. Why not engage in healthy talks by setting work boundaries and sharing to the boardroom some well-researched content that will improve productivity without compromising the employees health?
Start a healthy dialogue within the workplace culture and be open internal arguments rather than being comfortable with the No-Face monster.
To start with, you can start your workplace change in small incremental habits that you can suggest to your colleagues. The goal is to be grounded in the present moment, you want them to realize that a steady and consistent routine will make a huge difference in one’s life.
Remember the three antidotes for a busy, noisy and cluttered life.
Meditation And Mindfulness
When was the last time you have truly considered longevity in a different lens? For your healthy overall well-being. I am not speaking of vitamins and healthy diet here, but beyond that, when was the last time you considered renewing your synergy and vigor for life?
Have you taken the time to nourish a break away from thinking for the future?
That Utopian feeling when you truly practice “meditation and mindfulness” helps you to practice what’s in the present moment, to enjoy and be grateful for the things that you have accomplished and to relish where you are right now in your career and in your personal life.
Meditation isn’t a do-it-today or a weekly thing affair. You need to build a routine to meditate and be mindful of who you are and where you’re going.
By being mindful, you cultivate your personal voice and personal space to nurture a healthy mind.
There are many ways to practice mindfulness, it can be as simple as waking up each day and letting your mind be aware of your body, your breathing, the heartbeat of your heart.
Don’t disregard the simplicity of these things because if developed over a long period of time, you will reap its great benefits.
I also suggest that you download apps on meditation. There are tons of great apps out there which will synchronize your meditation experience with a flair for zen music, a narration or even the tune of nature. For mindfulness, you can also subscribe to some podcasts that dives deep into the topic. While meditating, you can also practice mindfulness of your body.
You can synchronize both, but if you don’t have time to meditate, you can have the luxury to be mindful in any place you are whether you’re in a busy or noisy environment.
Yoga And Other Perks Of Exercise
You can enroll in a Yoga class or exercise regimen to learn the basics or you can watch a Youtube video. Whatever your style is, you have plenty of options.
What I love about yoga is that it builds the virtue of “patience”. The more you nurture this virtue, and the more you control your body’s posture, the more you become disciplined in life. There are many yoga practitioners out there who have truly cultivated an inner tranquility in their lives. The grace with which they navigate to the daily humdrum is very evident as they have nurtured the routine to be calm and meek.
If you’re disciplined enough not to be sidetracked always on the cluttered assimilation of work, of your business whatever No-face monsters you’re facing, the more life becomes meaningful.
The perks of exercise boils down to physical fitness and how it can generate our serotonin kicks. The happy hormone will surely give us a feel-good moment. Again, there are tons of exercises available for free content if you don’t feel like going to the gym. You can do it in your home. I for one love to jump rope every day to relax and refuel my creativity.
Go For A Walk
Yes, you read it right. Go for a walk!
It can be a morning walk, or a twilight walk, or any time of the day, depending on your schedule and interests.
Out of the three ways to bring clarity to our busy, noisy and cluttered life; this perhaps is the easiest thing to do and very practical for those who might be overwhelmed with the first two options.
Going for a walk isn’t just strolling for the sake of killing your time.
It’s an opportunity to create a space for breakthrough. It relinquishes you from the burdens of your mind or nagging thoughts and refreshes the connection of your mind, body and soul.
Whenever you’re making the most crucial decisions, the best way to not be overwhelmed by it is to take a walk into the woods, or into a street with a degree of solitude and yet still safe for you to stroll in.
I call this practical technique the “HDT routine”, aptly named from my favorite author the transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau who enjoys most of his relaxing and yet enlightening moments by going for a walk.
So how are you going to do it? You simply choose the spot, place or street you’d like to stroll. Set a dedicated time to do it. Do not include it in your “To Do It” list but rather consider it as your dedicated routine.
Do not entertain work or other pressures in your thoughts. Simply let your mind wander to the experience of the moment, to be aware of the sounds you’re hearing including your breathing. Let your senses feel the tender warm or cold breeze, or listen to nature as you breathe into your nostrils the clean air it gives.
You can do it in the morning or you can do it in the twilight of the day. Either way, let your mind loose and empty itself from the little worries that crank you up at night. The goal is to “let go” easily of some junk which accumulated in your thoughts and replaced them with a serene mindset.
Take That Lovely Pause!
It is high time to end the era of the manipulations of this growing capitalistic market which calls us for endless hours of work beyond what our physical and mind can handle.
While progress propels us for future growth, we cannot however compromise our health and our happiness and sacrifice the quality of living in the moment.
This is just the beginning of a productive and mainstream talk on striking the balance between healthy life and work spectrum.
The decision is yours, you can always enjoy and live a quality life or you can dive into the cycle of the “busy, noisy and cluttered life”.
There’s a beautiful divine spark which reminds us of this lovely message “you cannot discern life’s greatest treasures in a noisy place”. The three antidotes were not suggested to limit you in a box but they simply open to the picturesque future that there is no box at all in life. You can always explore what works best for you.
Take a deep breath, the No-face monsters of this life should not hinder you from living the best way you can.
Take that lovely pause now, reassess who you are and where you’re going to.
You might not always know the exact answers why or how you get entangled in a busy, noisy and cluttered life; but that’s just how life is.
The real antidote is the wisdom of living your life, not living for life.
