In a busy world with constant input from work, e-mail, internet, telephone, television and all kinds of (often self-commited) obligations it is easy to loose the connection with yourself and with others. Your senses are constantly triggered or in an “alert state” so you are not able to relax. You may even get the feeling that you are loosing control of your life and wake up more tired than when you went to bed. The possible result on the long run: a burn-out. If you recognise this: CONGRATULATIONS! you are have taken the first step to take action and reverse the process of heading into a burn-out.

The first step is to restore the connection with yourself. Like there are different people there is not one best way. The key is to focus on one thing only for some time. The easiest solution is one which can be done anywhere: find a silent space without disturbance of phones etc., sit straight on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, position your hands relaxed on your upper legs or in your lap, close your eyes and simply observe your breathing for some time (in the beginning may be as short as 5 breaths). What does this do to your body? Other ideas are: taking a walk or bicycle ride without phone and focus on the environment around you, get involved in art like photography, painting or drawing. The most important thing is that you perform the activity with full focus and attention to the activity only. But, what if thoughts about the things to do later in the day pop-up? Simply observe them but do not enter into a “discussion”. A trick is to see them as clouds in the sky which are passing by and will disappear. Is this simple? No, certainly not. But, like with all things, practice makes better and it gets easier once you notice the positive effects. What is the risk of trying this for a few days?