Too much to do, too little time

The pressure of having too little time and too much to do can be suffocating. The torture chamber of the mind pins us down with fear based thoughts of tomorrow and our bodies pay the price. We push ourselves to hold more, do more and try harder – so here is a little experiment to understand the limitations of the mind and to learn to look somewhere new for the strength to cope.

Try this experiment:

In your mind’s eye, picture 1 tennis ball. Got it? – (even a vague fleeting image will do). Now picture 2 tennis balls… see them both together… alright now picture 3… see all 3, not one at a time. Now picture 4 tennis balls… all 4… now picture 5… if you picture the tennis balls randomly scattered in space it will begin to be difficult to see all 5 simultaneously. Notice that to see them all together your mind may want to organise them into a pattern (like the dots on dice), so that you can see all 5 together at the same time. Go as far as you can with the visualisation, but don’t cheat, you must be able to clearly see ALL the tennis balls at the same time. The average person can see 6, after 7 it gets harder. The only way to see 9 and 10 is to have the balls in an organised pattern. Try it! See 9 without any structure or pattern, them put the tenni s balls in lines and patterns and notice how much easier it is.

So what is the message behind this experiment?

The torture chamber of the mind cannot hold more than a few concepts or things to remember at a time UNLESS the concepts are tied to other patterns and organised structures. More than 6 random, unconnected concepts means that you will start dropping balls, forgetting things and being unable to focus. If you have more than 6 things to hold in your mind at one time, you will feel the stress of TOO many tennis balls.

1. Understand how the mind works and accept its limitations.
2. Organise your to do list, or your concepts and worries into patterns – putting similar things together.
3. Structure the things on your mind and choose 3 to 6 (max) priorities for the day.
4. Write it down – if you have in on paper or in your diary your mind can release from trying to hold more than 6 tennis balls in the air.
5. Put the others mental burdens somewhere safe, where you will be reminded again tomorrow – so that your mind doesn’t have to look at EVERYTHING everyday.

Then most importantly, stop. Stop for at least 10 minutes a day and empty your mind of ALL the tennis balls – of all the worries and to do’s. Focus on the experience of the moment and open to the feelings and sensations that your body offers. Find gratitude for what you have and reconnect to your spiritual support.