{"id":9685,"date":"2022-12-15T15:57:03","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T15:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/hips\/strapped-for-time\/"},"modified":"2022-12-15T15:57:03","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T15:57:03","slug":"tired-of-always-feeling-rushed-these-4-steps-will-change-your-relationship-to-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/15\/tired-of-always-feeling-rushed-these-4-steps-will-change-your-relationship-to-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Tired of Always Feeling Rushed? These 4 Steps Will Change Your Relationship to Time"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

During the final year of his life, my 86-year-old father deepened his relationship with time. He\u2019d practiced yoga daily since he was 80 but was increasingly confined to a wheelchair, unable to do simple things like walk outside to pick up his New York Times. \u201cHe\u2019s slowing down,\u201d people said.<\/p>\n

They meant it as a sad commentary, but I felt differently. Dad lived unhurriedly, absorbed in the details of the moment: monitoring the daily arguments and flight patterns of sparrows outside his window, unwrapping a chocolate truffle, watching clouds trek across the sky, or scanning, with a magnifying glass, baby pictures of his daughter and his grandson for similarities.<\/p>\n

His mindfulness and contentment starkly contrasted with the frenetic pace of my life. I careened from clients to classes to meetings to Dad\u2019s and then home, where I\u2019d work past midnight. If the gas guy wanted to chat as I was filling my tank or I found myself in a slow checkout lane at the grocery, my goodwill was siphoned away by worry about falling behind. Dad seemed present and happy, while I\u2014a yoga teacher and psychologist whose focus is helping others live more mindfully\u2014was chasing time.<\/p>\n

Just about everyone I know, it seems, shares a similar sense of time deprivation. \u201cI\u2019m in a time crunch,\u201d says a colleague in an email. Recently, someone emailed me about my yoga teacher training. Could he start right away? Could he complete the training in less than 10 months? \u201cWhen I have nothing to accomplish, I\u2019m fine,\u201d says a friend, a yogi in the process of writing a book, \u201cbut when I have goals, time is my enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, most of us, most of the time, have goals; having a job, going to school, raising children, all require us to get things done according to certain schedules. There\u2019s nothing wrong with the drive to produce: It echoes the life force of creation. But we live in a culture that prizes productivity and speed. Before we know it, we\u2019re embroiled in a perpetual battle with time, missing out on our connections to our deeper self and to others.<\/p>\n

Is there a way to live that liberates us from the cycle of longing for more time, misusing the time we do have, and then blaming a lack of time for our discontent?<\/p>\n

The answer is yes. Happily, doing so doesn\u2019t require withdrawing from the world or radically scaling back on things you want to do. Nor do you need to focus on tips for scheduling yourself with ever-greater efficiency. Instead, you bring greater awareness to the way you experience time.<\/p>\n

How to experience time differently<\/h2>\n

This approach, rooted in the philosophy described in the Yoga Sutra<\/a>\u2014particularly the concepts of self-study, honesty, and non-grasping\u2014can bring you into a deeper harmony with time and allow you to engage more fully with every moment.<\/p>\n

To experience time differently, you need to cultivate and practice a new relationship with it, just as you\u2019d nurture a yoga or meditation practice. At first, you may feel as though you\u2019re swimming against the current of cultural cues that push you to do more and move faster. It may not be easy to change, but the rewards are immense.<\/p>\n

1. Understand how you relate to time<\/h3>\n

Your first step is svadhyaya<\/em><\/a>, or self-study, one of the ethical principles of yoga. Svadhyaya asks you to look inward and get to know yourself better. It teaches you to feel the difference between your own natural rhythms and the cadence of the world around you. It can teach you what\u2019s practical and beneficial to focus on, and what you may need to delegate or drop.<\/p>\n

You may not have examined the behaviors and assumptions that shape your relationship with time. Taking a time inventory gives you a window into the values that underlie your time-spending habits.<\/p>\n

Begin your self-study by asking yourself questions like these: Besides eating and sleeping, how do I allocate my time in a typical 24-hour period? Do the activities on which I spend most of my time nourish me, or do they feel obligatory? Do I put others\u2019 needs first, only to suffer a resentment hangover? When I long for more time, what do I imagine doing with it?<\/p>\n

People often adjust their sense of time to those around them in a sort of temporal contagion. When you\u2019re with people who move at warp speed, do you find yourself operating at a pace that\u2019s too fast for you?<\/p>\n

As you mull over the answers, you\u2019ll begin to identify the activities that are intrinsically important to you as well as the pace that\u2019s most compatible with your own organic rhythms.<\/p>\n

2. Be honest with yourself<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve taken a closer look at where your time goes and begun to understand your innate priorities and pace, you\u2019re ready to explore the yogic principle of satya<\/em><\/a>, or truth. Satya is a natural offshoot of self-study. When you know what your truths are, you\u2019re more likely to acknowledge when you\u2019re moving through the world in ways that don\u2019t fully honor those truths.<\/p>\n

If we are constantly running from one thing to the next in a way that makes us feel depleted, then sooner or later we need to acknowledge that the ideas we have about what we can accomplish are out of sync with the reality of our lives.<\/p>\n

It may sound as if this acknowledgment would be painful; actually, it can be freeing to get more clarity about what\u2019s possible and what\u2019s not. Coupled with the self-study that can give you a better idea of what\u2019s most important to you, this process can bring your inner and outer lives into greater harmony.<\/p>\n

Most of us live in linear, chronological time, with its clocks and deadlines and pressures. A steady diet of this kind of time starves the most vital, alive, and essential parts of us. But there\u2019s another, richer kind of time: extraordinary time. It\u2019s a state of intense focus, of being in the moment; it is what musicians and athletes describe as being in the zone. Similarly, people have described near-death experiences as a slowing of time, accompanied by a deepening of internal awareness and connection. It doesn\u2019t matter how fast or slow you move, but whether you\u2019re present enough to find the state of optimal experience that embodies extraordinary time.<\/p>\n

3. Let go<\/h3>\n

Once you taste how rejuvenating extraordinary time can be, you\u2019re more willing to let go of your hold on linear time. And that\u2019s where the yogic principle of aparigraha<\/em><\/a>, non-grasping, comes into the picture. Aparigraha teaches you to let go of the need to produce more, achieve more, acquire more. It motivates you to relax your iron-fisted grasp on material or measurable accomplishment.<\/p>\n

I swim at a local pond twice a week. It\u2019s 25 minutes away, so the entire trip takes about two hours. Often, on the way, I\u2019m stuck in linear time, worried about the pile of work awaiting me when I get back. But once I\u2019m in the water, the worry disappears. Each time I turn my head to breathe, I\u2019m filled with the scent of tall pines lining the pond, the sight of wildflowers, the spectacle of fish knifing through the water below. I am transported, suddenly, into extraordinary time.<\/p>\n

Invariably, this sacrifice of clock time yields unexpected returns: It permeates everything I do afterward with a sense of fluidity, creativity, and ease, and actually enhances my productivity. Yet on the days when I feel I can\u2019t afford the clock time and don\u2019t swim, whatever I do takes much longer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the productivity paradox: The more you muscle toward accomplishing your goals, the more likely you are to become depleted, derailing the very things you\u2019re trying to get done. When you can stop grasping, even if only for a little while, you can access that state of flow, remain in the present, and enjoy and harvest the time that is available to you.<\/p>\n

4. Notice your transitional times<\/h3>\n

When you\u2019ve looked within and taken your time inventory, been truthful with yourself about your ideal pace and focus, embraced the art of non-grasping, and experienced extraordinary time, you\u2019re ready to bring what I call \u201ctimefulness practices\u201d into your life.<\/p>\n

The heart of these practices is yoking your awareness to the moment. Each and every moment holds the potential for a transformative experience of time. In my work as a psychologist and yoga therapist, I\u2019ve seen that transitional times\u2014when you\u2019re between jobs, partners, stages of life, or even yoga poses\u2014are full of possibility. Because you\u2019re no longer rooted in your old awareness and habits yet not fully anchored in the new, your potential for timefulness, or openness to the present moment, is at its highest.<\/p>\n

Slowing down and giving these transition times your attention can enrich your experience of time. Smaller transitions in your day, such as arriving home from work, are also threshold points that can help you experience time more deeply. In fact, every moment is a transition of sorts; we just tend to move through them so fast that we\u2019re unable to see them for what they are.<\/p>\n

You may not be able to do each of the following practices every day, but starting with one and doing it consistently will help. Each of these small changes brings space into your daily routine, providing a respite from linear time.<\/p>\n

Upon waking<\/strong>
The transition between sleep<\/a> and wakefulness is when dreams and intuitive impulses are more available to you. Slow down. Be present. Set an intention to bring more awareness into your day and to be open to each moment.<\/p>\n

Before work<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take a moment to really say goodbye to loved ones. Look them in the eye and let yourself feel how much you care for them and how fortunate you are to have them in your life. Relax and breathe when you stop at red lights or take a short \u201cmindfulness detour\u201d through a park or scenic area. Decide to savor even the most menial tasks of your day or eat your lunch unhurriedly.<\/p>\n

Between tasks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rushing from one task to another without savoring a sense of completion only contributes to the illusion that nothing is ever enough. Take an aparigraha break. When you\u2019ve finished something, pause to feel the sense of completion and the energy of non-grasping. As you inhale, welcome more energy into your body; as you exhale, let go of what you\u2019ve completed.<\/p>\n

After work<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spend 15 minutes in a restorative yoga pose to reconnect with yourself. If you feel restless, try a forward-bending pose like Balasana (Child\u2019s Pose) using a bolster or a couple pillows beneath your chest to calm your nervous system. If you\u2019re depleted, restorative backbends like Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) are ideal.<\/p>\n

Before bed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Scan your day for any challenges you experienced and let go of them. A colleague of mine who is a meditation teacher spends a few moments taking an inventory of his day. If he\u2019s had a conflict with someone, he sends them compassionate thoughts and makes a mental note to acknowledge the person the next day. Spend two minutes in 2:1 breathing (exhaling for twice as long as you inhale), which calms the brain and readies you for sleep.<\/p>\n

Know that time is on your side<\/h2>\n

Experiencing only linear time unravels the thread of awareness that connects your exterior self with your innermost self. But balancing linear time with an appreciation for extraordinary, transformative time gives life meaning. That\u2019s because extraordinary time has a way of coaxing your spirit out of hiding. It helps you listen to what sounds, at first, like the merest whisper of intuition, impulses, or dreams but, over time, reveals itself as the clear, resonant voice of your soul.<\/p>\n

On the day my father died, my brother and sister and I held him and breathed with him in the intensive care unit. His best friends stood close to his bedside, and a cousin played his favorite cello concerto. The ICU nurse said he didn\u2019t know how much time Dad had left; it could be minutes or maybe hours.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still not sure of the clock time, but for however long it was, Dad yoked us all to the moment, teaching us once again about the importance of being fully present. He was giving us one last experience of something he knew well: extraordinary time and the deep soul connection that dwells within it.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published on February 21, 2008.<\/em><\/p>\n

About our contributor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bo Forbes, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist, yoga teacher, and integrative yoga therapist in Boston.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"Tired<\/figure>\n

Einstein was right\u2014time is relative. Here’s how to slow your experience of it.<\/p>\n

The post Tired of Always Feeling Rushed? These 4 Steps Will Change Your Relationship to Time<\/a> appeared first on Yoga Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9686,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[37,35,36],"class_list":["post-9685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ayurveda","tag-blogs","tag-yoga","tag-yogacourseware"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9685"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9685\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}