Body over clock - internal peace Jan16 '06
I have come to experience the clock as my worst enemy.
In today’s fast-paced lifestyle - the clock has proven that managing time is one of the most difficult things for people to do - as we always seem to "run out of time," or fall short of expectations, in other areas of our life.
I am one of those people who try to manage time "to the extreme." I always have to keep a consistent schedule - every day, otherwise I feel "lost," or "not myself."
I’ve learned that this could be a bad practice.
In part, one of the reason’s I’m taking a Yoga class tonight is because I’d like to become more "in touch" with my body, and what it tells me. I’d like my body to control me, and not the clock.
When my body says it’s time to sleep, then I go to sleep. I shouldn’t just go to bed, simply because the clock tells me to. For example - if I try to get to bed by 10 PM, every night, then everytime I see 10 PM on the clock, I think that I instantly have to "get to bed," not even totally considering the fact of if I’m really tired, or not.
Same thing for eating meals. I should only eat something when my body tells me to. Granted, it’s important to get appropriate nutrition every day, in the form of 2-3 meals, but just because the clock says it’s 12 noon, that doesn’t mean I should "drop everything," and go eat.
My body will tell me it wants to eat, when it’s ready.
Of course, this is all easier "said than done." It’s very hard to "turn off" the need to "know the time." Part of the reason is that, today, there are clocks everywhere. There’s clocks in our cars, on our cell phones, on our computer workstations, scattered throughout our homes, etc. Everywhere we look, there’s a clock reminding us that we could be running a few minutes late.
Or that we’re losing valuable sleep hours. Or this, or that.
Well... I’m tired of the clock controlling me.
Sure, there are certain places I have to be, at certain times, as well as certain jobs/projects that have to be completed by certain times. But, regardless, we can only do what’s "in our capacity" for any given moment. The clock should never control us, or make us feel pressure, stress, anxiety, or anything else.
I am hoping that this belief has already been established across religions and civilations - and, with the help of Yoga, I hope to "open myself up" to such ideas. I believe it will lead to a healthier mental and physical lifestyle.
Eliminating the clock
Aside from my initial Yoga class this evening, I intend to make some other changes, that will hopefully "break" my connection with the clock.
I am currently getting rid of all clocks in my room (at home), as well as my office (at work). On my computer, I simply set my "date/time" preferences to "hide" the on-screen digital clock.
Too often I watch the clock, performing addition, subtraction (and whatever else) in my head, about when I should eat, when I should sleep, etc, etc. All it’s done is create more tension and needless anxiety.
At work, I can now focus on my work, and not on the clock.
At home, I can now go to bed when I feel sleepy, not when the clock tells me to.
This is my first step in becoming more "in touch" with what my body tells me.
This won’t be easy, at first, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.
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