Getting to old for this

[Cannyfixit]

Just finished my shift,every 4th week i do 7 days working until 10pm,today is my rest day and i'm sat here feeling tired and un motivated
Is there a magic pill that soothes aching bones and a tired brain

[Inky Pete]

I don't think it comes in pill form, though!

[Cannyfixit]

i suppose that might work but as i am teetotal one pint of beer and i would be off with the fairys

[Wes]

Sounds a bit cooky Canny but 'meditation'...Probably gonna get the pee took out of me but you'd be surprised at what it does mate No need to shave your head or wrap yourself in orange robes either

[nick200]

Wes, I used to meditate and it helped loads. Now I can't seem to get into the right mental place to do it (kid screeching etc). Will try again soon as work is manic!

[Wes]

Takes lots of practice nick and I ain't no Buddha

The main advice for beginners (as you probably know but this might help Canny) is get yourself away from any distractions for 15 minutes twice a day. Ideally first thing and later on (easier said than done I know ). Sit down, cross legged or in a normal seating position, keep the spine straight but not tense (again takes practice).

Then for 15 minutes just breath and concentrate on the inward breath and outward breath. Any thoughts that come into the mind, just let go (you'll have plenty of time to think about them later) and go back to concentrating on the inward and outward breath.

When the 15 minutes is done, go back to life Do this daily for a month and watch what happens...First thing I realised was how hard it is to relax the mind!! But when you learn to calm it down over time with repetition, for a start your quality of sleep will improve dramatically!!

[BillyGoat]

I don't think I've been able to cross my legs since I was about 14

[Wes]

Dirty girl

[ayjay]

Just have a good kip, (with a bad woman).

I did a stint one winter at a prefabricated building factory (they mostly made schools and prisons) - 7.00am start and 6.00 pm finish - tea and lunch breaks were a tight 15 and 30 minutes on the whistle - (just the two) - that was Monday to Thursday (Friday was at overtime rate if you wanted it ) the work wasn't particularly onerous or intensive (I spent most of my time hanging doors- sideways) but you had to pretty much keep at it all day - the difference to my normal pattern of work just left me knackered by Thursday evening - Friday was spent at home doing very little just to recover and by Saturday everything felt normal again. I declined the offer to go on full time on the cards.

So, like I said, just a good kip should sort it out.

[Cannyfixit]

A good kip i wish ,never been a good sleeper i hate going to bed with a passion,normal sleep hours for me are 1am until 7 am with a couple of wake ups in between
my head has been shaved since i was 18 and mrs Canny dressing gown is red so just had a go sitting cross legged,legs went dead and took me 10 minutes to get back up again
My trouble is i cant switch off i have no personal worries or anything i just have to be thinking what mischief i can get upto in the garage,
sometimes it could be 3am an idea wakes me up and i'll make a brew and pop in the garage then before i know it its 6/7am and time to get ready for work

[dandan]

I was just going to say that I feel like that when I just work, eat and sleep. Almost like it is more mental tiredness/numbness than being physically tired.

I find a need a project or something to keep my mind busy, anything from a hobby to planning my next DIY task or planning holiday.

[Wes]

legs went dead and took me 10 minutes to get back up again

That happens to me Canny. That's why I prefer sitting on a normal chair. Needs to be low enough to plant your feet fully otherwise you can get numbness in the back of your legs.

My trouble is i cant switch off

It's called the monkey mind. Just can't sit still. The mind or brain (that's for another discussion) is like any other muscle in the body and is subject to conditioning or habitual behaviour. It's always looking for things to do and that type of mind owns the person, rather than the way it should be, the person owning the mind. Imagine if your arm or another limb had 'a mind of it's own', which is a known condition. Or you had a pet with 'a mind of it's own'. These things can cause problems because they're unpredictable.

It can take over. Hence, when the mind isn't trained (which is part of what meditation is about), you never know what's round the corner with it and often find that type of person can't settle i.e. erratic sleep patterns, or find it hard to focus on one task.

The thing about meditation is it's hard work at the beginning, like anything (jogging, sports, golf, whatever). But the more you practice, the more you're able to get a grip of the mind and put things neatly in order. It stops controlling you and starts working for you, at your will. Not the other way round. This can be seen in a focussed sportsman or similar. Everyone can do it, it just takes lots of practice but the results are frankly amazing..

Some people have a controlled focussed mind naturally, some don't. But the ones that don't tend to have very imaginative minds, and once the rains are pulled in can do amazing things when they 'put their mind to it'

dandan. A structured project is a kind of meditation. Something to focus on. Although, some people just can't plant it. They jump from one project to the next without finishing the last. The minds like a bombs hit it, constantly. Look at most women. Part of their genetic make up is neurotic. Until they start calming down later on (big generalization) . Not saying there's anything bad with that btw It has it's uses, just not while driving

[kellys_eye]

Takes lots of practice nick and I ain't no Buddha

We all need a better bit of Buddha in our lives. I can't tell the difference.

[breatheasy]

Tried many things to relax over the years ,some not strictly legal I recall,however now tea total and meditation is literally what was missing for me...swear by it. There are many different approaches,I use the taoist model,just a matter of finding the one that suits you.

[kintangoman]

get yourself an allotment.
Going there and turning the soil, planting the crops and watching the fruits of your labour come to life, then eating them.
You will feel refreshed and full of life. Best way to de-stress and best therapy ever. I'll swear to it (ok, swearing is blasphemy, so I'll not swear).