Being so goal-oriented as I am, sometimes I need to step back and relax a bit. (I'm not very good at this weird "relaxing" thing, but I do try.) So here's last night's very non-goal-oriented watercolor painting.
I was just playing around, with full self-permission to make a "bad" painting. And maybe it is, but it was good for my head and heart. (This isn't the full painting; I cropped off the lowest inch or two to fit in this space.)
Coincidentally, I was also listening to a couple of Andrew Huberman videos on depression and other emotional states. (He's a brain specialist guy on YouTube.) And my biggest takeaway was that sometimes we need a little brain "reset" by NOT seeking pleasure (or in my case, the "pleasure" of seeking to achieve a goal). That was an interesting confirmation.
By the way, here are some of Dr. Huberman's tips for preventing - or getting relief from - depression:
- Eating fatty fish, or taking fish oil supplements, to get enough essential fatty acids (EFAs).
- Exercise. (I think he said an hour a day is ideal. If you can't do that, do what you can. Something is better than nothing.)
- Sleep hygiene. (Ahem, I offer an online course on this topic, full of do-able tips for everything from nutrition to bedtime routines, to resetting your "sleep clock.")
- Pause from pursuing pleasure. (For me last night, I chose to surrender my pleasure-seeking goal that this painting session would produce something great.)
Be blessed today. Remember to pause regularly. Pause from your work, your goals, even your "goals" of seeking pleasure. Make time to find rest for your soul as well as your body.
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