Do you remember the Tasmanian devil from the cartoon Bugs Bunny? I used to spin and buzz around, leaving a cloud of dust like the Tasmanian Devil until I managed to achieve the next shiny thing on my list. Then, without waiting longer than necessary to identify my next target or obsession, I would move on. Fire! Ready! Aim!
Four years into my retirement, these days I move mostly in a state of calm from one small project to another. I’m not afraid to take naps. There is lots of quiet – in fact, my life now is mostly quiet. Like the tortoise and the hare, I just plod along every day.
With her many friendships and other relationships, her spiritual direction practice and now the Journey Center of Michigan, Jennifer remains in perpetual motion. It’s all good. We are simply in different seasons of life.
Moments of calm are balm to the soul. Silence at this season in life is mostly comforting, giving me ample space to savor the stillness. I can sit for long stretches of time, reading a book while Freja naps, occasionally chasing rabbits in her dreams. It is healing and therapeutic to just be.
“Nearly all habits that lead us to calm exist in one place: the analog world. The more time we spend in the analog world, as opposed to the digital one, the calmer we become. We best unwind in the analog world, acting in accordance with how our ancient brain is wired.”[1]Bailey, Chris. How to Calm Your Mind (p. 7). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
For the last few weeks I have managed to keep myself off of Twitter and TikTok and almost all news sites. I still look at NPR once a day, but I’ve stepped out of my addiction to the 24-hour media outrage machine. I avoid alcohol and most artificially sweetened foods. Strolling down the aisles of our grocery store, I am amazed by the Frankenfood I still crave. Instead, there are loads of berries and veggies in my cart. This phase may not last forever, but it feels great right now. The key is to keep junk food out of our house. If it is here I will eat it.
As a result of these changes, the micro surges of dopamine upon which I have been dependent, have faded. They have been balanced by more serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. These are the calm, happy chemicals. I would be lying if I told you that all my anxiety about the future in particular is gone, but I don’t generally let it stew. Mostly I am able to make it go away by biking, running, and going to the gym.
Research suggests dopamine leads us to crave two things that compromise calm: more accomplishment and more stimulation.[2]Bailey, Chris. How to Calm Your Mind (p. 77). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
It has been awhile since I last posted to this blog. I am in no rush. And that’s the point.