The Salmon Saga: Viking Hacks 4
A deeper and more practical approach to a healthier work balance by the conscious use of meditation and slowing down.
Time to Read: 5 min
When was the last time everything fell out of control?
Most readers of this newsletter are either Generation X, Millennials or Generation Z. We are famously known for burnouts. Meaning, we have a hard time finding balance in life. This has become a serious issue during COVID19 because the environment stays the same when we work from home. There is no physical transition anymore.
There are different ways of dealing with this. A good friend of mine recently told me how he tried to mimic the office-feeling by dressing up and dedicating a part of his house for work only; trying to re-create the feeling of being in the office to stay productive. I think this is good example of how we all try to adapt to the situation.
That’s why today we will look at how you can regain some balance. Remember to have a look at last week’s Viking Hacks if you need more inspiration.
Let’s start.
I never did backpacking in Asia, nor did I spend three months in a temple with native monks. However, I ended up as one of those “hipster whities” that discovered and incorporated meditation into my life. My rationale behind this decision was simple:
We expect body and mind to constantly produce good results, but we rarely take time for conscious relaxation. When was the last time you lied down to relax? Not to watch TV or read a book, but to simply lie down and not do anything. I believe there is an insane amount of energy to extract from moments like these because you finally disconnect from the rest of the world.
To me, meditation is about exactly this: slowing down and disconnecting. Not doing anything while letting feelings and thoughts flow. Not trying to stop anything, just enjoying a moment of stopping.
I believe meditation is the perfect tool for situations like COVID19. We experience a sense of unbalance and we have a need to stay productive at home. Maybe you already know that the upcoming week will be stressful? Being stressed is also a human condition that we need to cope with, but rather than being reactive, meditation can help us being proactive.
That is why I encourage you to follow this guided-meditation-video the upcoming week. All you have to do is find a place to sit down and don’t be disturbed.
Dont worry, I use Headspace daily and their meditations are very easy to follow. Pull up your calendar and set aside time for this specific exercise. Label it as Stress Relief. It takes 10 minutes to complete and I encourage you to find time to do it three times. It helps you organise thoughts and makes space for productive work.
If you need some help on the way, I usually start my meditations with two questions:
> How do I feel?
> What does it mean to do nothing?
I emailed Headspace and I got you guys a 25 % discount code for an annual membership as well. I personally recommend that you try Headspace Plus for free first; they have a 2-week trail period and you can get started by downloading their app. Then you can decide yourself whether you want to apply the discount code afterwards:
Thats the hack of the week. I wanted to change it up, so instead of a book recommendation, I would like to recommend an article that triggered me to write this weeks Viking Hacks, which talks about work-life balance and how COVID19 will change the way we work forever:
https://unherd.com/2020/05/can-we-stop-pretending-we-love-our-jobs-now/.
The next round of Viking Hacks will come out Monday 8th of June.
If you have tips or feedback, send an email to marco.ab.hjorth@gmail.com or comment in the section below. I would love to hear more from all of you, as my goal is to create a community where we share experiences with one another and learn to live better life.
I wish you a splendid week.
The goal of meditation isn’t to control the ocean, it’s to stop letting the ocean control you.
Yours,
Marco h.