Pacing means moderating our levels of activity, to fit in with our levels of energy. For instance, look at this beautiful stream.
If the phone is only charged up to say 40 or 50%, we can only use it for a short period of time. And if it is charged up to 80 or 90%, we can use it for much longer. And I do not know about your phone, but when my phone is down to 10 or 20%, the battery turns red! The phone is telling us to recharge. Just like our bodies tell us. And when the body is in the red, our stress levels go up because we become more stressed about how much we can do before the power runs out.
And yes, it bores me silly when Android users go on and on about their great battery life! – Like, “Oh, I see you have an Apple device, I guess you will be needing a charge point soon, ha ha ha!” So smug!
In the same way, there comes a point where we hit our “energy boundary,” and then we need to stop everything and recharge with a meditation or resting. Sometimes when we hit our energy boundary, we may notice some slight increases in symptoms, and we can be ok with it without judgement. If we have big increases in symptoms that trigger a loop, then this is a clue we are over-doing it regularly.
If we notice ourselves saying, “I should” be doing this, “I must” be doing that, then it might be a clue that we might be pushing beyond our boundaries. We want to let go of all of these should’s and must’s, and instead be kinder to ourselves.
For more information, please see SESSION 7: RELAXING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM- PACING, DIET, SLEEP AND GETTING INTO NATURE
Ashok
Ashok Gupta is the Director of the Gupta Program. He has dedicated his life to helping people get their life back from Chronic Illness, improving people’s well-being, and helping them achieve their potential. He has been teaching meditation around the world for over 15 years. He runs a global e-clinic specializing in treating ME, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia & Multiple Chemical Sensitivities – guptaprogram.com
Ashok has spent many years researching the brain neurology of emotion and linking well-being tools with science. He has published medical papers on the basis of stress-related illnesses. He has appeared in many media as an expert on stress on the BBC, CNN, Guardian Newspaper, ITV, The Independent, and many others.
He wrote and presented the Meaning of Life Experiment which is a Free, Award-winning Meditation and Self-Development App www.themeaningoflife.tv
He also works with companies around the world, teaching courses in Leadership, Time Management, and Personal Development. www.ashokgupta.tv