It's Ok To Close Your Eyes
Written by: John Scott, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When you return to flying, or maybe you already have, you'll be reminded that "In the event of a loss in cabin pressure, secure your oxygen mask before helping your children or others."
We've all experienced severe turbulence over the last two years, and it is, for many, taking an enormous toll in terms of mental health. However, if we look after ourselves, we can best help our loved ones and others in our circle.
It's ok to close your eyes. It's ok to take a break. To rest is ok. And it's ok to ask for help.
High-performing athletes do rest and recovery exceptionally well. Our experience of sight is estimated to use 30% to 50% of our brain activity. So closing our eyes provides immediate rest for our brain. And breathing, like our life depends on it, is a beautiful thing.
Our brain weighs about 3lbs and requires 25% to 30% of the fuel we consume for it to run properly. Our brains are the master regulator for our whole body. So caring for our brains is important.
Being on all the time causes stress and depletion, like being drained to "one bar" of power. We are washing our hands a lot and yet not practicing brain hygiene as much as is needed.
As a behavioral habit, many people are pretty good at helping others and do less well at being kind to themselves. Closing our eyes during the day to take a micro rest, taking a walk, deciding to slow down and unlearn rushing, eating a healthy meal are examples of self-caring. Time for you is ok. You matter. And a break, a walk, a pause doesn't mean you are less of a parent, uncaring for others, or a bad employee.
I asked a dear friend how she was doing the other day, and it brought tears to her eyes at the degree to which she rarely thinks about caring for herself. And we often are privately self-critical. But unfortunately, these examples of low self-caring don't allow us to be our best.
There is considerable strain as we all move through this pandemic. Yet, there has been recognition and appreciation for frontline health workers for almost two years now. Additionally, others in some essential services get that well-deserved recognition and respect.
Maybe we could all think of ourselves as frontline workers and offering essential services. As parents with kids at home or with elderly parents, we naturally are activated to help. We provide a necessary service of the support, patience, and attention required to help others through this time.
And we might consider that we are a necessary service to ourselves? Not just at this time but all the time.
Designed to thrive, each of us has a birthright to be happy, healthy, and fully alive. Of course, we all want that for our children. It's ok to enjoy it for ourselves too.
We all experience painful things in life. Our opportunity is to understand that self–compassion, the desire to alleviate our suffering, is available to all of us and has significant benefits:
Highly correlated with increased wellbeing, positive emotions, and resilience.
Reduction in depression, anxiety, and risk of burnout.
It allows energy for compassion for others and builds stronger relationships.
Self-compassion is a strength; it feels like a superpower when we experience the consequences of self-caring.
To feel like it's ok to close your eyes, take a break, and make choices that sustain a healthy level of living is a different way to do life for some and can start now.
Here are some ideas to get you moving on that better routine:
When feeling exhausted, close your eyes, breathe deeply and exhale slowly to calm and restore your nervous system.
Try to get 7 to 9 hours of good quality sleep. Make sleep a priority.
Choose an exercise as simple as a pleasant walk-in nature to return to the present.
Meditation, or attention training through breathing, calms us.
Eat well. The only things that fuel us are what we eat and drink.
Before you fall asleep, review at least three good facts from the day.
Be grateful. If you can't think of anything, remember you are breathing and start there!
Be kind to yourself and others as we have little information about how others are coping these days—tilt on the side of compassion and kindness.
John Scott, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
John worked in sales and leadership in the financial industry for 30 years. For part of that time, he experienced a great deal of stress and didn't know the way back. As a result, John's health and wellbeing suffered. Becoming burnt out was the stimulus to wake up with a determination to do his life differently.
John began a private journey to understand and overcome the negative stress he was experiencing. He found a formula for sustainable performance he now shares to help people move through common challenges to experience more great and less grind.
John has completed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, U. of Massachusetts), Foundations of Applied Mindfulness Meditation (U. of Toronto), and the Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP, Flourishing Center, NY).
John's adventures include:
• Climbing Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro.
• Two dog sledding trips to the Canadian Arctic.
• Two record-breaking swim crossings Lake Ontario (51km)
• The first to swim from Christian Island to Collingwood, in Georgian Bay (32km).
John brings his experience in life, learning, and adventure to help people do life and work well through writing, speaking, and coaching.
