Where does time go?

Thank you for joining in with your comments, it's so wonderful to hear from you all - this party is getting started! I know some of you are struggling to add comments, I've changed the settings so it might be easier. It would be great if you could each email a photo and a little bit of blurb about yourself and I'll put it up in this big box so you can all meet properly. If any of you want to tell a story, share some wisdom or discuss something that's important to you, then send by email and I'll add it. Yes, I know how busy you all are, but sometimes it's good to take some time out just for you.

Tick-tock

Talking of time, have you ever really wondered where it goes? We never seem to have enough of it? But is that a fact or an illusion? Do you remember as a child that a day seemed to last forever and the year from one birthday to the next seemed like eternity? Now a day is like a couple of minutes, in comparison. It flies, it disappears, hurry, hurry, hurry from one thing to the next, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late, no time to say hello, must fly. So what's changed? Has time really sped up as we've got older, or are we doing it to ourselves?

Do you ever notice that while you are doing one thing you are usually thinking about something else? Thinking about something that needs doing tomorrow or next week? Or fixing yesterday’s problem? Our mind is continually busy in the future or the past and rarely pays full attention to now. We are so proud of our female ability to multi task but has it actually robbed us of living time? Think about it, how much time do you spend totally present in your life right now?

When we were children, tomorrow didn't matter. The present moment was everything and it held our focused attention and fascination. Remember that glorious feeling? I've been thinking about this a lot in the last couple of years and looking at ways of getting that child time back into my life. Along the way I’ve discovered a few really simple tools and techniques that not only slow my perception of time down, but also really helped in other ways. The one below is what I call my "walking, waking meditation" adapted from Lynne McTaggart's book "The Intention Experiment". Please try it, I think you'll be amazed by how it works and imagine just how much more you can get done when you learn how to slow down time.

Read through the following before you begin:

• Walk away from the computer and look around you. Really look but do NOT form opinions, just experience your surroundings as if for the first time.

• Describe to yourself what you see; the colour and texture of the walls, the floor, the furniture, the people. What are they wearing, what fabric? Describe their features. If there is a mark or blemishes you haven't noticed before in your environment, describe the shape of the mark, touch it, how does it feel? DO NOT THINK ABOUT FIXING IT. No opinions, just let things be as they are.

• What does it smell like around you. Smell the air? Describe it to yourself as you are doing it. Can you taste it?

• What does the energy around you feel like, where do you feel it? Tell yourself.

• What can you hear - really listen, close your eyes, can you feel the vibration of the sound?

That's the general idea, sometimes it helps to say it out loud to keep focused. Every time your mind starts to drift, bring it back repeat something over and over till you have it back. Just stay in the moment for as long as you can.

You can do this any place, any time and you can take it with you wherever you go and it’s free. Not only will it calm you, but you'll notice things that you never have before, even in a very familiar environment. I find it really helpful to still and clear my mind while I’m travelling to and from work or need a relaxing short break away from my desk. At other times it helps keep things in perspective as well as keeping panic and anxiety at bay. I had a breast cancer scare recently (I’m fine, thank goodness) and this simple technique kept me clam and positive in the days between being recalled and attending my follow up tests. As soon as my mind started to race to the “what ifs” I could stop it from going “there”. I kept myself firmly rooted in the now because “there” is not known. There hasn’t happened yet. There can be dealt with if it becomes now. This moment is all the life I have. This moment is my eternity and I’m not going to waste a minute of it.

Please give it a try and let us all know how you get on.

Lots of love xxxx