I know there's kids and spouses to take care of, jobs to get to, meetings to attend, buses to catch, deadlines to meet, appointments to go to, kids' practices and classes to drive to and dinners to make. So how in all that do you find time for stillness?! You have two options: one - you can plan it, and two - you can let it happen naturally and take advantage of it. I recommend the first option if you're already over-scheduled and too busy. Let's find some practical things you can do to find stillness.
Planning it - What if you made an appointment with yourself a few times a week to start? Maybe you need to start with waking up just 10-15 minutes earlier and spend those moments in meditation, prayer, quietly centering yourself, however you're comfortable being still. Maybe it's just sitting cross-legged on your floor or bed not thinking about anything but keeping your mind still. Maybe it could be the last few minutes before you get into your bed at night. Just don't spend it thinking over your To Do list for tomorrow or all you didn't get finished today. Another option is that you could plan a scheduled time for yourself a few times a week whether it's at lunch, in your office with the door closed, in your car, alone in your room, on your patio, a time without a phone, where no one has access to you for a set amount of time, whatever you can afford - 15 minutes? half an hour? maybe a whole hour once a week? What if you planned a time on your day off for yourself, maybe an hour or two since it's only once a week? You could use that time to walk if it helps still your mind, but imagine just being still, at rest, maybe doing some informal natural stretching out of your neck and shoulders, clearing your mind, learning to be still. If you have or follow a faith or religion, you could use your stillness time to focus on your creator, enjoying the peace you have in the moment, or even in prayer - but keep it prayers for thanks, not another To Do list of people to pray for and thinking about situations that have you tied up in knots already.
If you aren't a planning type of person you could try to take advantage of life's breaks along the way like we used to before technology took over our lives. In between tasks, take a short break to just sit, breathe, maybe have a few sips of water or herbal tea (or coffee). When you're at a red light for the next 60 seconds, clear your mind, breathe deeply, exhale slowly, enjoy being in the moment for that minute, being still. When you're in line at the grocery store, instead of stressing out, again, intentionally clear your mind, breathe deeply a few times, exhale slowly, it doesn't have to be some big noticeable production. Just be still for that moment. You know when I used to sneak a peaceful moment? At my kids' soccer practice. They were mostly just running drills but I would soak in the smell of the fresh cut grass, the warm sun on a cool day (or a cool breeze on a hot day, lol). I'd just close my eyes for a few minutes at a time and be still, thinking only of how blessed I was that day.
If you aren't so busy, or the kids are in school and you're at home during the day, if you're single or have no kids, you have a special advantage others may not. You can take breaks for stillness without so many people depending on you 24/7/365. You can tell people you have plans after work that could be just you, being still, maybe in a bubble bath, maybe just relaxing listening to peaceful quieting music.
No matter what your day usually holds, for your own peace of mind, and to begin taking those baby steps towards living a more simple life, make time or find time to intentionally and purposefully be still. There is great power in stillness to create a better you.
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