08_04_2019

Making Use of Your “Reset” Button

A dear friend in a recent email gave me something new to think about.  She was describing some events that took place over several days that apparently demanded more of her than she had anticipated.  While exhausted, she shared that she pushed through the day, not getting back to her apartment in NYC until after 10:00 pm.  The goal as she stated it was to sleep in her own bed on Saturday night so that she would wake up on Sunday and hit her “Reset” button.

I grabbed onto the idea as I could see how advantageous it is to just anticipate that we are periodically going to need to “refresh” our intentions.  Most of us who have reached a certain age recognize that as much as we would love to believe that we can get into a routine of healthy self-care practices that can withstand waves of challenges, we have reluctantly learned to let go of that notion.  If we’re not careful, we end up drifting into a murky zone in which our critical inner voices begin berating us for falling off the wagon.

How effective to have a plan in place to call into action when we realize our good intentions have been thwarted by unforeseen obstacles.  For example, this particular summer between a couple of weeks of extreme heat combined with the fact that a couple of my yoga classes don’t meet over the summer, I’ve had a lovely summer of fewer scheduled things.  I was doing fine walking every day until it got too hot, and while truth be told, I have loved having more leisure time to relax, read, and not feel like I had to be on the go every day.

But I also recognize how important it is to maintain a level of fitness that allows me to do things that I enjoy doing.  My yoga classes start up within two weeks, so time to start fitting time in my schedule for  more physical exercise.  And, knowing that I have company coming to stay with me for several days is always a good reason to motivate me to do a more serious housecleaning than I might normally do.

Using my “Reset” Button requires that I clearly state my intentions of why I want to pursue certain things.  Part of setting my intentions includes picturing the reward at the other end.  As noted, when I’m in good shape by my definition, I have the energy and enthusiasm to do the things that bring joy to both others and myself.  When I entertain, I’ve learned that in order to actually enjoy the time with friends and others, I have to be organized enough that I don’t exhaust myself with preparations. When I’ve done that in the past before I realized what was happening, I understood that I wasn’t enjoying spending time with my company.

So this past weekend, part of my “Reset” was attacking cleaning and working in the gardens, but spreading out the tasks over the week so that I still had time to relax.  It also means cutting some corners when it becomes clearer just exactly how much time I have to get all of these things accomplished.

In planning meals, I just go for simpler meals, and plan some meals out so that I’m not always cooking.  Everyone helps with the preparation and clean-up, but there are always the behind-the-scenes efforts that begin with meal planning, factoring in the weather and time spent away from home on outside activities, the food shopping, etc.  All of these activities can be manageable and fun, as long as I am realistic about my own energy and time.

In addition, taking advantage of using a “Reset” button also can serve as a demarcation of how I might want to approach something I’ve done in the past with a new approach or twist.  This time, I’ve decided to eliminate physical activity that I simply don’t enjoy.  I was trying out a new yoga class this past winter, and I was very happy when a business contract conflicted with the day that class was offered.  I decided I’m not going back to that class, and will stick with the classes that are a good balance of what I enjoy most about yoga.  Key elements for me include some gentle stretching, a sense of a good workout without overdoing it, and equally important is a yoga instructor whose approach is congruent with the deeper centering and spiritual practices of yoga.

Part of my “Reset” this time in response to my cutting out a class each week was to designate a new area within my home where I can engage in a home practice a couple of times a week.  I gathered all of my yoga things into a huge basket, and I’ll set up my Buddha and incense in that room as well, so a new adventure to engage in.

While discovering things like a “Reset” button may seem like a trivial find, it is something tangible and because the idea is easy to grasp, it can be very helpful in getting back on the path of intention.