Rhythms of Life

Find one thing that helps your wellbeing, then repeat it.

When I was younger I was a keen runner. As I got better, the need to train increased and that usually involved repetition. Longer runs, short sprints, fitness exercises - all were repeated to improve my speed and stamina.

As we share some tools for personal growth in this week’s Well?, I wanted to write a few lines about why developing rhythms and routines has proven to be so helpful. Much of this, like my running days, involves repetition.

When we are learning something new - such as a language or skill - we usually use some form of repetition. Doing things again moves impulses from short to long term memory and aids our confidence. Notice when you want to remember a phone number or pin, you repeat it a few times … the brain knows this is something that helps.

Interestingly, lockdown has also shown that having daily rhythms and routines helps our wellbeing. Not having to make up your day reduces stress. Repeating tasks gives confidence and is also quite calming. You feel comfortable after a while with a rhythm.

So when we come to wellbeing, our advice is to find something that helps you and then repeat it.

In this week’s resources you’ll find a Mindfulness Meditation. The audio recording takes you through a Mindfulness experience but also teaches you along the way the skills of being present and of noticing your emotions and feelings. This is an idea thing to try each day.

We also share how Words and Pictures can be important motivational and inspiration tools. The repetitive use of a word which focuses you e.g. confidence, begins to train your brain to notice this as important and to be inspired by it. Similarly, having a picture in a visible place in your house which says something about what you want to do or where you want to go helps. For example for those who feel going on day at a time is helpful, you might display a picture of a road winding out infront of you. The journey has started but you’ll reach your destination.

Rhythms

These ideas help us because ultimately we are rhythmical creatures. Our days and seasons have rhythms of light and dark, of heat and cold. Agriculture shows us there is a time for planting, for waiting and for growth. Having a baby, growing up, learning to walk, leaving home … all these things have their time and place and develop through rhythms and routines of life.

The poet Maya Angelou once said “everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” If you consider the natural rhythms of your life - what things would help you?

If you’re a morning person for example, why not try an exercise in the morning when you are refreshed? If you are inspired by the outdoors, find an image or word from nature to help build your wellbeing.

We are rhythmical and if we can find repetitive rhythms of wellbeing in the way we live life, we will begin to grow.

Andy Freeman is the Director and Founder of Space to Breathe. You can connect with him via Twitter @AndyFMusings.