You know that feeling when you get into intense concentration mode? Your head is down and you are focused on the task at hand. You have a deadline to meet, a goal to reach, a task to complete. You don’t have time for anything else and you do not want to be disturbed. You won’t stop to stretch, to pee or even to get a drink of water. Depending on what you need to get done and how far along in the process, this can be overwhelming or satisfying.
Some of us are so stressed we never get out of this mode. We always feel under the gun, far behind and unable to catch up. Can you think back to a time when you felt like this? I know I can and my stomach turns just thinking about the pressure. When I am under a great deal of pressure, I start to shut down. I am unable to think about anything other than completing the work.
Stress settles in my muscles and bones in the form of discomfort and pain. My stomach is in knots and my head is often throbbing. I try to stay up late and get up early to meet the deadline. I skip social engagements, eat crappy food and drink too much wine or beer in an effort to relax.
If you are looking for a recipe to follow to wreck your health and happiness – just keep your head down and keep plowing through to reach that deadline each time you face such a situation.
If on the other hand, you want to routinely choose health and happiness, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP for a portion of every day. Yes, I know you are under a deadline and you have to meet it. I get it, I really do. But find some time every day to keep your head up! Otherwise you face getting stuck in another rut and that never leads to happiness.
When your head is up you are open new ideas and creative ways to reach your goals. You are using your eyes, ears, nose, hands to gather information from your surroundings. You are interacting with others who may have some insight into helping you complete the task at hand.
When your head is up, you are releasing some pressure in your neck and arms and are better tuned into your body that is begging for a quick walk and a healthy snack.
When your head is up, you are looking at your schedule not just for today but glancing at tomorrow and next week. You won’t get caught by surprise by the next looming deadline or forget the pending meeting with your boss. You remember to schedule some fun, some family time and to make better decisions for your health. When I keep my head up, I remember that hitting the library often leads to positive changes in my life. Yes, the library!
Keeping your head up allows you to be open to new ideas and insights. It prepares you to pay attention to those AHA moments of insight that appear out of nowhere and magically give you the answer to life’s challenges. This post reveals a few of my AHA moments! When your head is up you remember that in order to generate fresh new solutions to whatever impossible problem you are facing you need to be creative. In order to be creative you need to keep your head up!
I keep my head up during the day by taking my 10 minutes of quiet time every morning and by walking the dog twice a day out in nature. I find that reading a book or blog, listening to a podcast or YouTube video for even 10 minutes can provide me with a break from heads down mode. I love to brainstorm 10 solutions to any question I can think to ask about a problem I face, just to see what pops into my mind.
I often get ideas for blog posts from something I read or heard. A recent post titled Is Your Bucket Overflowing came from a book I had just finished a few days prior. I credit the idea for this post from a book I am listening to on tape titled “Disciplined Dreaming” by Josh Linkner. Not only did the book spur me to write this post, he makes a point of reminding us that creativity is not something we are born with but a muscle we can strengthen!
I like the idea of strengthening my creativity muscle but in order to do that my head must be up! If it is down, I will miss the cues because I am focused on my pounding head, my sore muscles, my empty belly and my looming deadline. So keep your head up and strengthen that creativity muscle! It is through creativity that change is generated. It is through change that we grow and adapt and this is how we learn to lead a purposeful, meaningful life.
Lake Girl
