Where the Science of Psychology Meets the Art of Being Human
Menu

Reconnecting to the Grid – What Do I Need to Sustain Me? (by Sarah Sacks)

Posted by Karen Young

0 views

Reconnecting to the Grid - What Do I Need to Sustain Me

Here in Australia, the summer is a time when the children are off school for up to two months and many businesses slow down or even close their doors – the nation takes a vacation. 

At home, the TV stays on with that strange game called cricket playing in the background, puzzles and board games remain on the floor for days on end, fans whirring and midday naps common place, the days are long, slow and hot.

Perhaps related to the blistering heat, or perhaps related to our distance from the rest of the world, the summer in this country, can be like a trip back to the 70’s when everyone rode a cruiser and we ate sunnyboys after a visit to the local swimming pool.

A kind of time warp sets in, as we take life more slowly, less seriously and live more with the rhythms of nature.

And for me, there is nothing like time off the grid and then reconnecting, to help me realize just where I am at and what it is that I need to sustain me in an ongoing way.

So here is my list of what I need to sustain me:

  • Connecting – regular and committed periods of uninterrupted time with the people that matter to me most.
  • Camping – far away from man-made light, noise and conveniences.
  • Movement in nature – hiking and swimming are my favourite.
  • Taking in uninterrupted horizons – getting out of the city.
  • Invigorating my sense of adventure – in traveling to new places.
  • Learning – reading widely and planning my learning for the year ahead.
  • Gardening – keeping connected to the earth in an ongoing way.
  • Exercise – regular walking, yoga, swimming.
  • Eating – savouring new flavours in sync with the seasons.
  • Sleep – honouring my body and allowing enough time for rest.
  • Water – drinking lots of it.
  • The arts – connecting to my love of music, art and design.
  • Sitting – in meditation and contemplation.
  • Creating – writing, gardening and working collaboratively.
  • Wondering – looking at the stars, our children, nature.
  • Laughing – with those that I love.
  • Working – to make a difference in the world

So there you have it, this is my list of what I need to sustain me … what is yours?

About the Author: Sarah Sacks

Sarah is a qualified and experienced counsellor, meditation teacher and group facilitator.  

Sarah’s warm and intuitive counselling style, along with her extensive life experience, enables Sarah to gently support her clients towards their own path of change.

Qualifications – Bachelor of Holistic Counselling, Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling, Bachelor of Business (International Marketing & Trade), Diploma of Arts (Japanese), ACA (level 2), qualifying member for CAPAV

You can find Sarah at The Grove Counselling and Therapy and on Facebook.

Like this article?

Subscribe to our free newsletter for a weekly round up of our best articles

5 Comments

Dianna H

Making my list of what to sustain me. Article right on time for organizing, making a monthly book to better organize my life. Husband retired due to severe heart/kidney diseases. Now functioning well, I can go back to an organized week planned ahead. Thanks for info to jump-start me! Dianna

Reply
renee

That all sounds great it’s what I would think problem is when I start thinking all those things I get overwhelmed How can you do all those things and still work the daily life and do the things you need to???

Reply

Leave a Reply

We’d love to hear what you’re thinking ...

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Bring Us To You!

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter to receive our articles to your inbox.



Contact Me

karen@heysigmund.com











Hey Warrior - A book about anxiety in children.






Hey Sigmund on Instagram

karenyoung_heysigmund

karenyoung_heysigmund

We humans are meaning makers. We are storytellers at heart. It’s how we make sense of each other, ...

May 31

Open
We humans are meaning makers. We are storytellers We humans are meaning makers. We are storytellers at heart. It’s how we make sense of each other, our world, and most importantly, ourselves. But big feelings can hijack our stories. When anxiety drives the story, it tells tales of deficiency and lacking, and puts avoidance where courage should be - but we can change that. . When we get a feeling, we are driven to make sense of it. Anxiety feels awful. It’s meant to. It compels us to listen to, and act on, its story: ‘This is unsafe and you need to act.’ This is how it keeps us safe. When there is no obvious threat, it is understandable that the story that children (or any of us) might put to the feeling is, ‘I feel as though something bad is going to happen, so something bad must be going to happen.’ . . This is when anxiety grows teeth. It assumes a power it doesn’t deserve, and drive a response that holds brave hearts back. . To change the response, we have to change the story. First, we validate, because that lets them feel us beside them. ‘I can see how worried you are about going to school. It makes so much sense that you want to stay home. I’d want to stay home too if I felt like that.’ ⠀⠀ Then, to change how the story ends, we change how it begins. ‘Anxiety feels awful. It’s meant to - it’s how it keeps you safe from things that are actually dangerous, like dark alleys. But here’s the secret to doing hard things: Anxiety doesn’t only happen when something is dangerous. It also happens when there is something important or meaningful you need to do, like school or trying something new. It happens when you’re about to be brave. This is when you have a decision to make. Is this a time to stay safe, or is this a time to be brave?’ . Then, we align with the part of them - and it’s always in them - that wants to be brave and knows they can be. It might be the tiniest whisper, or threadbare, or wilted by anxiety, but it will be there. . Our job as their important people is to usher that brave part of them into the light, so they can start to feel it too. ‘You have done brave things before my darling, and I know you can do this. I know it with everything in me.’

We humans are meaning makers. We are storytellers at heart. It’s how we make sense of each other, our world, and most importantly, ourselves. But big feelings can hijack our stories. When anxiety drives the story, it tells tales of deficiency and lacking, and puts avoidance where courage should be - but we can change that.
.
When we get a feeling, we are driven to make sense of it. Anxiety feels awful. It’s meant to. It compels us to listen to, and act on, its story: ‘This is unsafe and you need to act.’ This is how it keeps us safe. When there is no obvious threat, it is understandable that the story that children (or any of us) might put to the feeling is, ‘I feel as though something bad is going to happen, so something bad must be going to happen.’ .
.
This is when anxiety grows teeth. It assumes a power it doesn’t deserve, and drive a response that holds brave hearts back. .
To change the response, we have to change the story. First, we validate, because that lets them feel us beside them. ‘I can see how worried you are about going to school. It makes so much sense that you want to stay home. I’d want to stay home too if I felt like that.’
⠀⠀
Then, to change how the story ends, we change how it begins. ‘Anxiety feels awful. It’s meant to - it’s how it keeps you safe from things that are actually dangerous, like dark alleys. But here’s the secret to doing hard things: Anxiety doesn’t only happen when something is dangerous. It also happens when there is something important or meaningful you need to do, like school or trying something new. It happens when you’re about to be brave. This is when you have a decision to make. Is this a time to stay safe, or is this a time to be brave?’
.
Then, we align with the part of them - and it’s always in them - that wants to be brave and knows they can be. It might be the tiniest whisper, or threadbare, or wilted by anxiety, but it will be there. .
Our job as their important people is to usher that brave part of them into the light, so they can start to feel it too. ‘You have done brave things before my darling, and I know you can do this. I know it with everything in me.’ ...






{"cart_token":"","hash":"","cart_data":""}