Making Time for Time

In an article entitled “Time Lost and Found” Anne Lamott talks about the challenges we face in making time to be creative and pursue our passion.  In this case she is talking about writing, you can substitute whatever passion suits you.  Positive Psychology is all about discovering flow, that sense of time standing still when we engage in an activity that satisfies and consumes us. I experience flow when I am cooking seafood risotto in my kitchen. I am in flow when I play ball with my friend’s reluctant Corgi (she is willing to catch the ball but unwilling to bring it back).  I am in flow during a session when I feel especially connected to my client.

Flow is about remaining connected with ourselves while getting lost in a pleasant activity.  My to-do list puts me into my head (thinking mode) and disconnects me from my true self; I do experience a momentary sense of accomplishment when I check the completed task off the list, but it fades as I move onto the next item. We must make time for time, in order to truly experience our lives.

Making Time For The Psyche

In our busy world we rush from one thing to the next. It seems like “busy” has become the latest “drug of choice”.  We are plugged into our phones and computers, responding immediately to texts, calls and emails.  I was in the restroom at the doctor’s office when I overheard a woman conducting a business call in the next stall; most of us have seen people driving down the freeway going 35 miles per hour and swerving between lanes while talking on their cell phones. There is a trendy 12 Step meeting in Beverly Hills where the format states “Texting is ok but please go to the back of the room so as not to distract the speaker or other members.”  It seems like we are trying to cram as many activities as possible into one day without truly being present for any one thing. I sometimes ask myself “Where did the day go?”

Dr Michael Eigen, a psychologist and psychoanalyst said “Time is God’s most precious gift, God’s most pervasive filter. To do away with time is to do away with life. The psyche needs time to work, the mind needs time to think, the soul needs time to feel, and life needs time to evolve.” I find that some of my most creative ideas come to me when I am preparing a meal in my kitchen or out for a run in the early morning.  Sometimes I forgo listening to my beloved Beatles music and drive to work in silence so I can create some time for inspiration. Therapy helps you carve out and prioritize time for self-learning, and one of my I specialties is using mindfulness to help my clients create space in their lives to recover their authentic selves.