Recently, when Lisa and I were walking through the forest, I realized that I felt peaceful.
It was just a quiet observation.
This began a discussion about the benefits of creating a grounding routine.
A few years ago, when I decided to get serious about NakedPastor as a brand, I was experiencing a ton of stress about it. Even up to, say, last year, I was so anxious about the struggle to make what I do provide a living. I was just soooooo stressed out all the time.
I decided that even though I was committed to continuing what I do as a cartoonist, artist, writer, speaker, and community facilitator, I had to figure out a way to become more “Zen” about it. (That’s what I call it… “zen”… you know… relaxed and poised and serene.)
This all went together with my concern for my health overall. Not just mental, spiritual, social, and financial, but physical too.
So I started a daily regimen:
- Contemplative reading first thing in the morning and writing in my journal.
- Breathing exercises and stretching.
- Pushups, pullups, and lifting weights.
- Running and rucking.
- Cold showers and forest bathing.
- Intermittent fasting.
- Restricting doom scrolling
Etcetera etcetera...
I started all this with the intention of becoming more “zen”.
And it dawned on me yesterday that it’s actually working!
I’m not stressed out. Business is up and down, sometimes way down, and it would have freaked me out even just last year and I would’ve made life miserable for myself and those around me.
Now… I experience equanimity and calmness. All day long.
So I just wanted to encourage you. I’m nobody special. I’m just a normal guy with normal struggles. But I employ certain disciplines to improve my life. And even though I never saw immediate results at the time, I now know, in hindsight, that they actually work!
Do you have a routine that helps you stay zen?
