I've had a problem with driving for several years. I start to get tense when I'm going on a long trip. That causes constriction in my neck, and pretty soon I am hyperventilating and having a panic attack. I feel like I'm going to pass out, and driving becomes torture rather than a pleasure.
Recently my daughter had minor surgery, and I knew I needed to go to help her. She and her family live 2 hours away, and it's not a pleasant drive because of the major traffic I have to go through to get there. However, I wanted to be with her, and this trip was not negotiable.
On the morning of my leaving, I was trying to figure out how I could handle the problem. I had come to think that part of it was caused by the way I hold my head when I drive, so as I got in the car and started the journey, I had to cross a bridge that is under construction. Lots of traffic, only two tight lanes, and I started to feel tension and constriction. I was aware of my neck; did shoulder rolls, I paid attention to my breath. It kept constricting.
I began praying. "Please, God. Help me to deal with this and release it once and for all. Help me to drive with joy, not terror." And I had a thought to put on a very peaceful CD that I use when I'm tense. It is Carlos Nakai playing his flute. So I did. And then as I prayed, I paid attention to my breath, and then I looked at the road with gratitude. "Thank you for this road. Thank you for having a bridge here. Thank you for the beautiful bay, and the clear water, and the good weather. Thank you so much for letting me live here in the Bay Area, thank you for the gift of a wonderful family that I am privileged to go to see and help. Thank you for the trees, for the good weather we have, thank you for my home, for living in this space, for being in this country, for the gifts you give me on a daily basis that I take for granted. Thank you for my relationships" (and I noted all the ones including the tough ones with a feeling of gratitude) and on and on I went with my litany of gratitude, noting that the tension had fallen away. I was not hyperventilating. I was feeling a sense of peace and almost a drugged warmth that flowed through my body. And soon I was calm, I noted that traffic seemed to part as I came to major interchanges where there was a need to merge onto other highways. I began to cry because I could see the gift of life and the benefit of all that was working for and with me, not against me. By the time I reached my daughter's home, I was in a state of bliss.
We had a wonderful time, and when I headed for home, I thought about how I'd come up, and I practiced the same procedure going back...and had no problem driving. I’ve driven up and back to my daughter’s several times since that trip. Each experience has been a joy.
From Seasons of the Soul Fall Print edition 2002
Steps to Increased Mental Wellbeing
A recent study in Britain concluded that in order to strengthen our mental wellbeing, there are certain things we can do to develop greater equilibrium. As most of us can relate to, in today’s world of cell phones, computers, television, and constant distraction, we rarely take time to appreciate where we are in the moment. This focuses our attention to an interior world that is detached from our surroundings, and in the long run has a detrimental effect on us.
By taking a little time every day to be present in the moment and develop some of the criteria listed below, we can enhance our own sense of wellbeing and contribute to the betterment of our relationships with others and our community.
Steps to happiness
Connect
Developing relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours will enrich your life and bring you support
Be active
Sports, hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just a daily stroll will make you feel good and maintain mobility and fitness
Be curious
Noting the beauty of everyday moments as well as the unusual and reflecting on them helps you to appreciate what matters to you
Learn
Fixing a bike, learning an instrument, cooking – the challenge and satisfaction brings fun and confidence
Give
Helping friends and strangers links your happiness to a wider community and is very rewarding
October 30, 2008 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0)