let’s get physical

Life in the 21st Century. Full of the blessings of modern conveniences. Cars, dishwashers, remote controls, SMS, microwave meals. Live life with more time, more energy. Get things done with less effort. Or at least that’s the promise. And yet all these conveniences represent the paradox of modern times.

Modern conveniences are meant to save time. Yet we have less leisure time than ever before.

Modern conveniences are meant to save us energy, yet result in us consuming more energy from the environment. And we are more tired than ever.

The standard of living in the western world has never been higher. Yet we have never been less happy that we are today.

In an attempt to make life easier, we have become detached from our physicality and by extension the physical world around us.

We are disconnected, disengaged, disillusioned, dissatisfied and living in disharmony with ourselves, with others and with our natural environment.

I’m not advocating that we surrender all modern technology for a ascetic life reminiscent of the middle ages. Just that we need to pause for a moment and reconnect on a physical level.

There is only one way to connect with our physical selves, and that is to be physical: to work and to play and to use our muscles. And by connecting to ourselves on a physical, in the moment level, we are also connecting with our minds and the natural world.

So let’s get sweaty. Enjoy the feeling of not being in climate controlled comfort. Savour the effort. To truly feel relaxed, to appreciate the rest a comfortable bed brings, we must first feel tired after a busy day. But busyness in itself isn’t satisfying, the satisfaction comes from accomplishing something meaningful that you can be proud of.

Put away the modern conveniences every now and then. Knead bread. Use the stairs. Walk to the shops. Hang out the washing. Dig the garden.

When employing time saving devices, make the most of the time saved. Don’t fill it with minutiae. Make the most of your energy saved. Do something meaningful. And if, despite all these modern conveniences, you have neither time nor energy, maybe it’s time to ask: ‘are you happy about that?’

Appreciate the value of repetitive, boring tasks every now and then. They can be meditative, allowing for quiet contemplation. Have you enjoyed quiet contemplation lately? The mundane, everyday tasks allows the mind to be still. In the stillness, our intuition and creativity unfold. It is often at these times we have our best insights and ideas. Many of my ideas for this blog come when I’m washing the dishes or doing the ironing.

Doing things for ourselves, with our own hands is also a source of pride and satisfaction. In the attempt to satisfy every want with stuff, we have stolen from ourselves the very thing that makes us happy. ‘Retail therapy’ can never replace the joy of eating your own produce, wearing your own creations with pride, or giving a gift to a delighted recipient and declaring ‘I made it myself.’

And yes, as the picture suggests, our modern conveniences are costing us not only our health but our hard earned wages as we attempt to replace our lack of physicality at the gym. Everyday activity equates to incidental exercise – easier and cheaper than slogging it out on the treadmill.

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Have you read these posts?

1. why being lazy can save you money…