breathing room

It is 8:30 in the morning, and I am late again leaving for work. All I want is some breathing room but the minutes are ticking away as I drink my last sips of black tea with milk and then wash the breakfast dishes.

I find myself thinking: I just want some breathing room. And I am acutely aware that I need to be at work in half an hour, and it takes 18 minutes to drive there. How was I going to get some  space inside myself?

A few tried and tre practices did help in the moment: I didn’t rush, and in fact, I slowed down a little. A friend once told me about this secret: when  you feel rushed, slow down. It’s amazing advice and it works! Not rushing takes the edge off.  It was a little better.

As I drove to work, I didn’t talk on the cell phone or listen to music. The silence also makes some space for more breathing room inside myself. It was a little better.

When I got to work, after I settled in, I sat still in my chair and quietly concentrated on the rhythm of my breathing, of the in-breath and the out-breath — just for a few minutes. It was a little better.

Lately, I’ve noticed that there usually isn’t a big action to take to alleviate the pressure that begins to build up inside of me. It’s usually small actions that really help. Ones I can take in the moment. And not waiting until I’m sitting on a beach in Hawaii, which in my case isn’t going to happen any time soon. What’s more important is for me to find little ways to release the build up along the way.