The Value of Just BEING

May 28

As a society, I feel like we’ve forgotten how to just BE. BE in quiet. BE in stillness. BE in nothingness.

Modern culture has ingrained into our belief system that if we aren’t DOING, we aren’t achieving, and if we aren’t achieving we are lazy, falling behind, not valued in society.

Yet all this DOING, has left us broken. Broken in our lives, relationships, bodies, and selves. It appears that we have forgotten the value in slowing down. I see it everyday. The car that runs the red light to save 45 seconds. The office worker that shoves a sandwich in their mouth whilst catching up on emails. The driver applying her makeup as she drives down I-70 in rush hour (Yep, I’ve witnessed this!). The adult who FaceTime’s their mom whilst they are cooking dinner.

When did our lives become so full that we have to do all this multi-tasking to keep up? When did we decide to just accept this go-go-go way of living at the cost of just BEING?

There is a major cost of always DOING: to our bodies, to our relationships, and to society as a whole.

All this DOING leads to stress. And chronic unmanaged stress increases your level of insulin and cortisol, spikes carb and sugar cravings, leads to weight gain and storage of abdominal fat. Eventually it will start breaking down every system in your body. It will undermine your immune system, prematurely age you, erode your relationships, and destroy your pleasure in living.

The best way to reduce stress is to activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This is your rest and relax response. When it is activated, we feel calm; we can let our guard down; we can breathe calmly; we can just BE!

If you truly want to heal your body, then the very first step you must take is to learn how to hit your pause button. To just BE. But that doesn’t mean mindlessly watching your favorite NETFLIX show, scrolling through FaceBook, or sipping on a glass of Rose. The type of BEING we are looking for is active, not passive. It triggers a biological relaxation response in your body.

My favorite form of active relaxation is to just BE outside.

I’m fortunate enough to live in the beautiful state of Colorado, where I can see the mountains from my kitchen balcony. After a really stressful day, I’ll make a cup of herbal tea and just sit outside for 10 minutes in silence. I stare at the peaks of Grays and Torreys. I try to identify the birds that whizz past. I savour the taste of the tea on my tongue. I marvel at the current hue of the trees in the distance. Sometimes thoughts come into my head, but I let them pass over me like clouds. If it’s been a really tough day, I’ll start with 3 rounds of deep breathing: in through the nose for a count of 3, hold at the top for a count of 4, and then an audible exhale through the mouth. This 10 minute pause outside in the stillness and beauty of nature has the powerful effect of resetting my mind, body, and soul.

No matter where you live, you can do the same. Just BE in stillness outside: beside the ocean, in the mountains, by a river, in the forest, watch the sunrise or sunset, go to a local park, find a pocket of nature near you to just BE.

Other Ways To Practice Active Relaxation

If being in nature isn’t your cup of tea, there are other ways to practice active relaxation. Just find what you enjoy and fits with your lifestyle.

Get a massage
Practice meditation
Take an Epsom Salt Bath
Focus on your breath
Sit in a sauna
Take a solo slow stroll (leave the phone behind)
Listen to a water fountain with your eyes closed

Benefits of Just Being and Active Relaxation

Putting your body into a calm state of BEING can have wonderful benefits for your mind, body, and soul.

Boosts energy
Lessens anger and frustration
Reduces inflammation in the body
Improves digestion
Reduces appetite
Improves sleep quality
Lowers blood pressure
Controls blood sugar levels
Eases chronic pain
Boosts confidence to handle problems
Improves focus

As a working woman, I know that it can often feel like we don’t have 10 minutes in our day to just do nothing, to just BE. There is always far too much to do. But the truth is, there will always be more that needs to be done, that we want to do, than we will every have time for. So prioritize BEING. It will help your body relax, which will boost your energy in the long run.

[NOTE: This post was written entirely by me. I did not have any AI assistance or editing.]