content/posts/2016/2016-09-02-sustainable-living/index.md
---
title: "Sustainable living"
cover: "https://picsum.photos/1600/800/?image=1039"
date: 2016-09-02 21:50:36 +0200
tags:
- Mindset
- Productivity
- Time Management
---
> The aim is simple. I wish to boost my overall sense of wellbeing by living a
> more fulfilling life day-to-day.
I decided it was time to consciously unpack why I feel overwhelmed:
- The city feels rushed. The negative effects of traffic while people are
rushing to get somewhere on time can be a terrible start to ones day.
- At work we may be bombarded by emails, meetings, changes in priorities,
distractions, work we couldn't complete the day before, deadlines and crises
that need to be dealt with. We have so much work to get done that it's
counter-intuitive to take breaks. Multitask!
- We are overloaded by information from all over the world and it's readily
accessible to us any time of the day.
- Being exposed to how other people advertise their lives on social media makes
us question our own sense of achievement and can leave us feeling overwhelmed
and sometimes even depressed.
- Our devices distract us through notifications, messages and calls.
- In software, everything keeps [changing](http://blog.cleancoder.com/uncle-bob/2016/07/27/TheChurn.html).
There is so much to keep in mind, learn, troubleshoot and figure out. People
look to us for answers to questions that we _sometimes_ don't have.
- We have personal commitments too like going to the gym, meeting with friends,
attending meetups, servicing our vehicles etc. Our weekends can easily get
booked out causing anxiety as it could be considered our "me-time" or "down-time".
It's no wonder at the end of the day we are exhausted. There are only 24 hours
in each day of which 8 of them we need for proper sleep.
## Epiphany
I don't want to live each day waiting for retirement, wishing for a vacation,
waiting for payday or celebrating the start of a weekend.
Over the years I've had many thoughts of retreating to the outskirts of the
country, getting off the grid or going to live a minimalist life on an island
somewhere. Those thoughts gave my mind a false sense of peace in a reality
that never materialized.
I realized that I needed to find ways to deal with the overwhelming nature of my
current lifestyle without escaping the city and I believe it's possible.
Since I have started thinking about this, my perspective is actively collecting
information to improve. The aim is simple. I wish to boost my
**overall sense of wellbeing by living a more fulfilling life day-to-day**
in an environment that is rushing around me.
By doing so I believe that it will improve my:
- Productivity & performance
- Self confidence
- Energy levels
- Time management
- Decision making
- Interactions with others
- Sleep
## My experiment
As there is so much happening I know I am not in control of everything. For that
which I am in control of, I can try to take small steps toward this aim.
I started by practicing [mindfulness](/blog/a-mindful-day-of-happiness/) just
over a month ago. I've slowed things down quite a bit.
Something interesting I've noticed about me is that I can push through a great
deal of work. Once the end has been reached and things slow down again, I get
sick and feel exhausted. I think that's where I am now.
As I'm still figuring things out I am not concerned but I would like to document
the progress and things I am learning through this journey.
I must say that although I am feeling exhausted, I don't feel as overwhelmed as
I used to. Many of the things that overwhelmed me were side-effects of a mind
running wild with thoughts and getting sucked into the rush around me.
## My mindset
The moment I look at something as a goal my mind believes there is an end to it
and then I can tackle the next best thing.
Instead I think of sustainable living as a choice of lifestyle with **deliberate
yet minimal effort** as to not overwhelm myself further.
I am trying to work on my routine. Throughout the last 6 months or so, these
practices have become a part of me and aid me in my new journey:
- I leave for work and head home outside of peak traffic times to avoid
unnecessary frustrations.
- I am practicing **[journaling](http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/6-ways-journaling-will-change-your-life.html)**
where I write about my day to find out more about myself, allow myself time
to reflect and process my thoughts.
- I am training myself to singletask instead of multitask to improve the quality
of work I deliver as well as my mental wellbeing.
- When I am stressed, I pause, take a few deep breaths to calm myself down.
- I make sure to meditate each day for a minimum of 10 minutes using the
Headspace or Buddify apps.
- I see a counselling psychologist monthly for coaching in both my career and
personal life.
- I attend an hour of Pilates and hour of Yoga class each week for exercise, to
strengthen my core, improve my posture and for better headspace.
- I am reading up about Behavioral Science and how it can improve my working
life.
- I observe and converse with others to learn more about life and how others
are coping.
- I try not to look at my phone all the time. When I am walking, I don't read
or reply to messages. I try to allocate a few seconds every now and then to
attend to messages. I've also found comfort in muting certain notifications
that never need immediate attention.
- When I find myself rushing, I slow down and walk at a normal pace.
Surprisingly I am always [on time](https://medium.com/@cbouwer/adopting-the-practice-of-mindfulness-a8c5b6b63ae7).
## My final thoughts
It's not easy. I find many challenges and I don't always get it right. I am not
getting enough sleep and I am feeling a bit ill but I don't belittle myself.
I just keep trying and it's working.
I am seeing signs of improvement. I am more approachable and I am getting more done
than before. My days feel more meaningful and already this is more sustainable
than my drifting "what the hell did I do today?" type of days.
Admittedly my blog took a bit of strain as I decided some downtime was required
but so be it.
I am eager to know your thoughts and perspective on this topic. Please feel
free to share with me.
Happy living!
## Resources
- [Headspace](https://www.headspace.com) is a gym membership for the mind.
A course of guided meditation, delivered via an app or online. You can try
their starter course of 10 meditations for free. The other meditations require
a subscription.
- [Buddify](http://buddhify.com/) has over 80 guided meditations custom-made
for wherever you are and whatever you’re doing – traveling, at work, at home,
going to sleep and much more. All for the price of a cup of coffee and with
no hidden extra charges.
- Reading [How to Have a Good Day](http://carolinewebb.co/books/how-to-have-a-good-day/) by Caroline Webb.
You can get it from
[Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/How-Have-Good-Day-Behavioral/dp/0553419633),
[Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Caroline_Webb_How_To_Have_A_Good_Day?id=Ml3ZCQAAQBAJ),
[iBooks](https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to-have-a-good-day/id999030561?mt=11),
[Takealot.com](http://www.takealot.com/how-to-have-a-good-day-ebook/PLID41212844),
anywhere else online or your favorite book store.