How to become zen...with a little bit of help

It seems that nowadays every is busy being very busy. We want it all: the perfect life, job, family, house, looks, style, friends, travels, personality. The sky is the limit. And in this we also get a little bit lost. How to thrive in a world of too much? A difficult question. And the answer lies in, making choices. 

You can’t do everything, you can’t keep up. So you have to learn to say no to things. And yes to other things. And for that you have to find out what’s most important to you. What are your values? What do you love most?

The British writer Tony Crabbe wrote a very good book about this subject called: Busy.

One thing you can easily start doing is taking time for you! Because really how much ‘me-time’ do you plan for yourself in a week? To just sit, relax, and enjoy the company of yourself. Even though that can be difficult at start. Most of us do have time in our days that we could devote to simply relaxation, but we convince ourselves that we don't. Maybe you find it hard to start reading a book or just listen to the birds chirping. And your long list of to-do’s start creeping up in your head again and you feel guilty for taking this time for yourself. Because, well.. I don’t know. It seems there's always a reason to find, why not to take care of yourself first. 

Even though we are pro putting your phone away every once in a while to ‘disconnect to connect’. (A topic for another post) We now want you to get your phone and give you some tips for apps that might help you to ‘zen’.

Zen - and finding it - simply means slowing down. Imagine your day as a movie. Where, in all that rush and activity, can you push pause or slow down the frame? Figuring that out is finding Zen as you move. Harvard research shows we spend 47 procent of our waking hours thinking about something other than what we're actually doing. This increases anxiety. Creating time for yourself can help focus more fully on the present, reducing this anxiety. Here are a few apps to help you find stillness amid the chaos anytime. 

• CALM - is The #1 app for mindfulness and meditation to bring more clarity, joy and peace in your daily life. It can help you de-stress and have a better sleep. 2017 app of the year by Apple.
• INSIDE TIMER - join millions learn to meditate on Inside timer to help calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, sleep deeply and improve happiness. Apps of the year winner by Time magazine. 
• HEADSPACE - is the simple way to reduce stress. Relax with guided meditations and mindfulness that bring calm, wellness and balance to your life in just a few minutes a day.

- Barbara