technology assisted balance in the daily grind

My old desk.

So, as someone who’s mind can fly as high in to the realms of imagination as it can ground in the land of rationality; I recently found myself taking a break from the world of work to explore life’s mysteries and fulfil some dreams. A wonderful adventure, but equally personal and rather distant at times from the modernity of the masses I can relate to the most in the daily grind.

Of course traveling affords a sense of freedom in terms of space and time that when engaged in the land of three weeks holiday per year can seem incredibly alien and adventurous. That said; I would never discredit the work I did in the past. I loved the challenge of working in advertising, especially my last job for Razor & Joy with my clients SBS, Nike and the Sydney Opera House. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t stressful at times.

Put multiple personalities in a building, with time restraints, budgets and demands and there is always going to be a backlash of pressure one has to face at some point, especially in the advertising industry that requires an average of 20% overtime in order to ensure agency growth. It is in our nature to share burdens and if someone can’t handle the pressure, it can be projected on to those that can and hence, ensuring one has boundaries and knows how to deal with the stress-heads is important. Personally I found headphones and tea breaks a Godsend!

Being away from that world has allowed me to reflect on life in the city and appreciate the technologies that also gave my spirit some reprieve in the intensity of adland.

Meditation Oasis

This is a cool free podcast that I would listen to in the evenings to help me return to the present and stop the mind from its ‘blah blah blah’ after a tough day in the office. Mary Maddox has a rather lovely voice that after a few Zen like moments has one feeling peaceful and present and out of the ‘to do list’.

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock App

I must admit, waking up to an alarm feels incredibly unnatural now I haven’t had one for so long. It’s much more natural to be awoken by sunlight, however, the reality is that we often don’t have such luxury. Tracking sleep with the Sleep Cycle iPhone App however is incredibly beneficial for keeping track of rest.

Natural Light Clock

This light clock with a bulb that gets brighter and brighter as the time gets closer to wake up time makes the morning that much more natural.

Coffee Machine

The drug of action and productivity; addictive, buzzy and fashionable. Society was incredibly industrious introducing such a great drug for ensuring performance in the world of grind. Personally the morning ritual of making my own coffee was a little gift to myself and had my being prepared to work.

Nike Plus

Exercise was something that helped me keep in shape and have time for myself. Running along the beach in the evenings and having the proverbial ‘your kicking ass’ embedded in to my jogging soundtrack whilst keeping track of my routes and progress provided a great incentive to keep going. Nike+ is a great motivating app to keep you fit.

Jeremy the bicycle

Jeremy is a beautiful companion. Rather than investing in a Vespa or getting two buses to work, I found Jeremy from Tokyo Bikes a great companion to take me through the city, connecting me with nature as I cycled through the parks everyday on my commute to work.

40 Days Bikram (Hot) Yoga

My yogi friend would argue that ‘this is not yoga’ due to its modernity and progressive copy-written dialogue. Personally though doing back bends in a hot room was one of the most healing experiences. My ‘over a laptop’ posture loosened, my strength increased, I shed spontaneous tears and the buzzy feelings in the ‘deadman’s pose’ were incredible. In a fast paced world, where we want instant results and have been conditioned to be competitive, this yoga really appeals to that of the ambitious. Of course having a good teacher is important and makes a huge difference but I thoroughly recommend the 40-day challenge. My friend's called it "crack yoga" as I admittedly found it to be an incredibly important part of my balanced lifestyle.

Nutrition and detoxes

Working in advertising can have one susceptible to indulgences; tasty meals at fancy restaurants with clients and lots of alcohol in the office fridge for Friday shenanigans are common place; but in excess pretty terrible for the body. Having a break from addictive behaviours and watching these habits was a really important way for me to find balance in my life and ensure that my consumption was more conscious and detaching myself from the entanglements of addiction. I saw a nutritionist and had my diet fixed up.

Giving

Living the comfortable life in a world where many more don’t have such a privilege really encouraged me to be more giving. This is a personal philosophy that I have found really vital to feeling more whole and aware as an individual. Besides the natural endorphins that giving provides, I do subscribe to the power of selfless giving; whether donating clothes to a charity shop, sharing home grown herbs, making donations or activities that support the local community all help ensure that I am aware and humbly grateful for the luxuries life has afforded me.

Notes from The Universe

Daily emails from The Universe are a wonderful way of keeping one motivated, inspired and focused on one’s aims in life. Sometimes a few words of wisdom in the inbox can be the perfect reminder of what it is one’s seeking in life and striving towards those goals.

Dear Future Me

Send yourself an email in the future. It's a little schizophrenic but a really important way of reconnecting oneself with aspirations and inspirations in a time moving faster and faster. It amused me a year on to randomly receive an email from myself on the road and realise that I was on the trajectory I had been craving.

Vipassana

Apparently the ‘black belt of meditation’, Vipassana is a meditation practice that is solely experiential (i.e. practical, not fluffy visualization stuff but felt within the confines of the body) and it is amazing for focusing the mind and releasing the bullshit. It is a challenge and very intense. This is one of the hardest endurances for me; practicing sitting still for 11 hours a day, staying silent and with 4am starts for 10 consecutive days. There are Vipassana centres around the world and they operate on a donation basis. Despite struggling through them, I have found the benefits far outweigh the sacrifice of 10 days meditation.

Photography; Holga

Jeremy (my bike) and I enjoyed some wonderful tours down the leafy streets of Sydney. Photography is incredible for expanding perception, capturing beauty and seeing the stories the world shares whilst being creative. I loved the analogue journey from snap to print with Holga.

Plants at the desk

We are human beings, despite living in concrete jungles; we need nature in our lives because we are very much a part of it. I'd go as far saying we are it. Having plants at my desk had me embracing my inner Earth Mother and feeling more connected with nature.

Not taking life seriously(!!!)

We all have our own way of experiencing and learning from life. I’ve found that not taking anything too seriously just as vital as pursuing the joys in life. Sometimes the world of business can be ‘serious’. There can be business suits, conference calls and a sense that lives depend on results (especially with Account Directors hovering over your desk). But realising that life is essentially for living and remembering that you don’t know when your last day might be is a fine reminder to embrace and endure every moment of work you do. In India they would say "work is worship" and I find truth in that. Its a pleasure to work and be productive. The word "occupation" comes from the idea that one might "occupy their mind". Remember that and calm down...