Why do we need to heal? What is it about being in the rat race that causes us so much discontentment and ill-health? With some studies showing that over 70% of office workers in the UK are currently suffering some form of ill health as a result of their jobs, it seems pertinent to explore downshifting as a healthier alternative.
Downshifting in a nut shell is about choosing to trade some of our income for simplicity and time. When we engage with those things, simplicity and time, in a wholesome, life-serving way, they have the potential to heal us in body, mind and spirit and also to maintain us in that healthy state.
Healing Our Bodies.
What are the physical stresses we impose on our bodies? In a fast paced, achievement focussed, money-driven existence, we snack on junk food, eat for comfort, forget to exercise and do not give ourselves permission to relax. The result in the extreme can be heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and chronic fatigue states.
Downshifting can free us up to make dramatic improvements to our health and wellbeing. In setting aside some time to pay attention to our nutrition, for example, we can decide to return to eating freshly prepared, nutritious food at regular meal times that are in alignment with our body’s needs. We can seek support in returning to or setting up regular and enjoyable exercise habits. We can attach some priority to relaxation as an essential part of every day, valuing the regeneration work that our bodies are programmed to do for us, once we stop rushing around and start resting.
Mind
Being in the rat race can set up numerous emotional stresses, from pressures on our time and energy, to office politics and unrealistic expectations that we and others may have of us. If left untreated, these stresses can lead to depression, anger, insomnia, resentment, addictions and confusion.
How do we simplify what is going on in our minds? Stress is not what other people do to us, but rather how we respond to what they do. Pain is what happens, suffering is our response. So, we can relieve the stress by deciding to change how we respond to the mental pressures on us. Downshifting happens on a mental level as well as in the physical realm, by focussing our minds on what is truly most important to us. I do a lot of values and beliefs work with my clients, much more process work than goal setting, just as much looking at how to “be” as working out what to “do”. This is the nature of downshifting our mental processes – giving ourselves the time to uncover our core values and then deciding to focus on them. This mental simplification in turn frees up our time – time to think, to prioritise, to be grateful, to unwind.
Spirit
What do we feel in the spiritual part of our being that seems like stress? If you’re feeling disconnected, lethargic, uninspired, not truly present in the world, or reluctant to take responsibility for yourself, then you could well benefit from paying more attention to your spiritual side.
How do we do that? There are two remedies I would suggest for re-kindling that pure, undamaged spark of life that is present in all of us. The first is through adopting some form of spiritual practice, such as T’ai Chi, Qui Kong, Yoga, or Meditation. The second is through finding out what inspires you and making a habit of it. This might be spending time in nature, reading particular books, watching inspiring films, spending time with inspiring people etc. They key to optimising your spiritual wellbeing is to view these kinds of activities not as luxuries, but as essential parts of your life.
For many of my clients and downshifted friends, those two remedies go hand in hand and the best results, in terms of personal happiness, are obtained by adopting both of them together.
Conclusion
The stresses imposed on our body, mind and spirit by living in the rat race can lead to ill health that affects every part of our being. In contrast, by simplifying our lives and freeing up our time, we have the potential not only to heal ourselves, but also to maintain our optimum wellbeing and thus increase our overall happiness.
Whether you are starting to work from home, starting a small, sustainable business, deciding to home educate your children or simply live without a car, the experience of turning your back on the rat race can feel very lonely. More than that, you may be challenged by others who view your actions as an implied criticism of their decision to stick it out on the treadmill. Rather than allowing this to undermine your confidence in your decision, you can view this situation as an opportunity to create a new, mutually supportive mini-community that will serve you, all those in it and the world at large. How do you do that?
A community is a different animal to an organisation. Organisations emphasise roles, rules, rights and conformity, whereas communities emphasise relationships, consensus, cooperation and creativity. So, in building a mutual support network, you are not trying to re-create the organisation that you have just left. Rather than that, you are starting to create something more fulfilling and wholesome.
What do you want your responsibilities to be in your new venture? What type of relationships do you want to have with others? Maybe you’ll decide that there are some people you definitely no longer wish to have a relationship with or any responsibility for!
One of the beliefs I’ve encountered from friends and colleagues alike is that there is some kind of conflict between self-sufficiency and community based sustainable living. There seems to be this idea that those who are strong supporters of the self-sufficiency movement see themselves as separate from the community and that they are to be commended for not being dependent on anyone or anything outside of their immediate environment. I think this is a misunderstanding of where our responsibilities lie when we talk about sustainable living.
In order to be resilient in the face of peak oil and climate change or in order to live a life of voluntary simplicity for spiritual reasons, there is a clear distinction between being totally self-sufficient and isolated by it and being dependent on the global corporate machine. There is also the middle ground where self-sufficiency and sustainable living can co-exist. In this case, self-sufficiency is about knowing where our boundaries are. For example, I believe you are self-sufficient if you accept responsibility in a proactive way for your personal life. This would include your health and wellbeing, your work, your relationships and personal and professional development. It is possible to do this at the same time as living and working in community with others. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this degree of self-sufficiency is essential if you want your mutual support network to function effectively.
Some of my clients who start their own businesses, believe they will have to do everything themselves in an effort to cut costs. This was the route I took when I first became self-employed and I soon found it very stressful and rather unsuccessful. Sharing the load can be much more productive and satisfying, even if at first it appears to add extra cost. Working alongside others can relieve you of tasks you find dull or difficult (delegation). It can provide stimulation, insight and inspiration (finding associates with complementary skills), and lead to some very exciting synergy (cooperation).
You might immediately think of a financial management consultant, web designer or personal assistant under this heading. I would also include those who support you in your health and wellbeing and those who at first might appear to be competitors. In my mutual support network, I include an osteopath, nutritionist and yoga teacher as well as several other coaches.
What do you hope to learn from your new venture? Suppose you are turning a well-loved hobby into a small business or reducing your working hours and cutting your living expenses. Who do you know who can mentor or teach you? Who can help you improve your skills? Who can listen to you without judgement?
Your personal and professional development network might include favourite workshop leaders, a coach and a spiritual teacher for example.
Remember also that your support network is a mutual one. What do you have to offer your network?
One of the saddest by-products of our post-modern society is the isolation felt by many of its inhabitants. With many people living in single person households and single parent or small nuclear families we have lost the confidence building benefits and emotional support of living and working in community. We have also lost the practical advantages of sharing resources. The good news is we can re-create community and reap the benefits even if we do this on a small scale.
I’m guessing that there are probably very few of us now who have not been affected by rising fuel costs, either at home or in our businesses. When the rising cost of a common commodity grabs our attention, this can trigger old anxieties around money. This might be focussed on making ends meet at home or watching the bottom line in our businesses. According to sustainable business principles, the key to success is to operate to a Triple Bottom Line – People, Planet and Profit. You might well be tempted to view the People and Planet elements as something of a luxury when times are hard and may well ask “What’s wrong with just focussing on the money when things get difficult?”
The problem with being profit orientated in any situation is that it tends to change our behaviour in the following ways:
When we encounter any form of stress, one of the risks to watch out for is a tendency all humans have to revert back to old, comfortable habits. The old comfortable habit that we’re reverting back to when we begin to focus solely on profit rather than the triple bottom line stems from our being raised in a consumer society. The economic machine that is consumerism depends on making us feel that we are not worthy in some way – not slim enough, not beautiful enough, not sweet smelling enough, don’t have the right mobile phone/car/home/clothes. We are led to believe that we can only be happy when we meet someone else’s approval and the specification for that approval is forever shifting with trends in fashion. So, we’re left chasing an arbitrarily defined set of goal posts over which we have little control. According to consumerism, you can always buy your way out of unhappiness. So yes, profit orientation is an old rat race habit that we haven’t quite managed to shed! What are we to do?
What some people who are money or profit focussed say is “Well, that’s ok because I’ll make sure I get my connection with nature and my fulfilling relationships outside of work.”
The problems with that is:
So, when we’re feeling stretched financially, that is the time to revisit our business purpose and our reasons for doing what we do – our offering and contribution to the world. It is a time to “keep the faith”. How do we do that?
Keeping the faith is like gardening. First you clear the ground – declutter your work and living space, declutter your thoughts by reducing the number of projects you’re working on, have a spring clean. Then sew your seeds – continue to make new contacts, build on and nurture existing relationships, learn a new skill or cultivate a new habit, find a new way to reduce your consumption, do something kind just for yourself, be consistent in your marketing, stay in integrity. Watch as the seeds you’ve sewn start to bear fruit. Just notice synchronicities happening, act on them with gratitude and see where they lead. Remember to remain unattached to particular outcomes. We live in rapidly changing times and the opportunities that arise may not emerge in the form that you expect! Finally, have fun and be at peace during the process.
When we “keep the faith” and focus on maintaining our authenticity and sustainability in our business lives, especially when times are tough, there is no need for “work/life balance”, there’s just life.
It can be said that there are only two certainties in our lives – that we will die and that there will be change. The beginning of a new year is traditionally a time for planning but sometimes planning at any time can seem futile when life can be so unpredictable. How do we come up with a plan for our business or our personal life that is sustainable? How do we ensure that our plans are flexible enough to be worth spending any time on?
The good news is that there is an easy solution. Sustainability in every aspect of our lives is about simplifying. Somehow we’ve come to associate progress with more sophistication, in our technology, in how we communicate, how we look after ourselves, how we raise our children. And yet, simplicity is often the more elegant solution and the more sustainable. Think of the difference between creating energy from a nuclear power station or a wind turbine. Think of the difference between steering an ocean liner or a rowing boat. The simpler and less sophisticated the system, the more manoeuvrable, flexible and sustainable it is likely to be.
In Our Homes – fewer, multipurpose tools.
De-cluttering is a term in common usage these days. It seems to me to be an essential step towards simplification. I’ve found, in my own downshifting ventures, that de-cluttering is best treated less like a “spring clean” and more like “brushing your teeth”. By that I mean that simplicity requires daily rather than annual attention and involves a deliberate decision to maintain or reduce items rather than accumulate. This can apply to paperwork, gadgets, toys and games, clothes. One way to reduce the number of items you need is by using fewer multipurpose tools. For example, in the kitchen, when your food processor wears out, you could replace it with a good quality cook’s knife. Similarly with our clothes, we can decide to keep fewer, simpler, more flexible items that can be mixed and matched. If more specialised items are required, for example for a special occasion such as a wedding, we can choose to hire an outfit rather than buy it.
In Our Businesses – simple systems, health and heart.
In my experience, most business owners who love their work have a strong, well defined vision and a few simple and robust business systems. For most of us, there will be several ways in which we can earn a living. The reason, other than money, that we do what we do is our business purpose – our vision that drives us forward and adds meaning to what we do. When we have a strong, well-defined vision for our business then we have something congruent and steadfast with which to align our decisions. This usually makes decision making simple and straightforward. It also makes designing and creating robust business systems simpler, more sustainable and less time consuming to manage.
Your continued and sustained good health and wellbeing are as much assets of value as the material items you believe you need for your success. It’s a good idea to make sure that your business plan leaves spaces for you to look after yourself.
Sustainable businesses place a heavy emphasis on people and relationships. When we communicate from the heart we value honesty over manipulation, cooperation over competition and authenticity over propaganda. This is simpler and less energy draining than trying to force ourselves, our employees or associates to behave in a way that’s not authentic for them.
With Our Children – individuality and exploration.
What is our vision for our children? What kind of parents do we aspire to be?
We can teach our children to live in simplicity and in alignment with their values by modelling it ourselves. Expecting them to lead a heavily timetabled life, controlled mainly by adults is just leading them to believe that a rat race existence is normal and healthy.
Whatever our views might be about the need to control children, they will in the end walk their own path. Our children are not just smaller versions of us, but have their own preferences and their own strengths and weaknesses. It is usually simpler for all concerned when we acknowledge and accept this early on rather than battling with it.
When we consult children on decisions that affect them and show them that we value their input then they feel respected and are easier to be with and to plan with.
Conclusion
Plans for our future, whether at home, in our businesses or with our children, can be easy to create and to follow when we emphasise simplicity and a well-defined vision. Having such a focus allows for flexibility in the face of unforeseen events and sustainability in our actions.
Here are some tips to remind us that the environment still matters at Xmas and that there are measures we can all take to boost our immunity to the consumer frenzy that occurs at this time of year:
1. 20% more waste is created at Xmas than at any other time during the year. Make a special effort to sort card, paper, bottles, plastic and foil for recycling and ensure that any houseguests know where you store these items.
2. If you don’t already have one, put a composter or wormery on your Xmas present list. Many local councils offer these at reduced prices as household composting reduces their waste bill.
3. When buying presents, give priority to those with a minimal amount of packaging, or packed in recyclable materials e.g. cardboard.
4. Reuse carrier bags when shopping and recycle them when they are no longer fit for use. Many supermarkets now have plastic bag recycling facilities. Better still, use cloth bags.
5. Buy fresh, seasonal food for the festive season. Farmers markets now offer excellent value for money when compared to supermarkets and you will be supporting your local economy and reducing your food miles by buying from them. In the UK, you can find your nearest farmers market here: www.farmersmarkets.net
6. Make your own decorations. Alternatively, buy a small collection of good quality items that will last many years, sometimes even many generations!
7. Make your own Christmas cards. Alternatively, send ecards.
8. Buy a locally grown Xmas tree and then recycle it afterwards. Try putting “xmas trees recycling” and then the name of your county into a google search to find local facilities for doing this. Better still, buy a tree with roots, pot it and you can reuse it next year.
9. Use ribbon or string instead of sticky tape to wrap presents. Sticky tape is not biodegradable and also prevents wrapping paper being reused. Each year more than 8,000 tonnes of wrapping paper (50,000 trees worth) is used on Christmas presents in the UK.
10. Xmas food. Buy organic and fair-trade wherever possible. If you are not already vegetarian then consider having some vegetarian days over the Xmas holiday period. There’s a free Christmas Celebration Feast recipe book here: http://www.viva.org.uk/christmas/index.html. Rose Elliot’s cookery book “Vegetarian Christmas” is also excellent.
11. Toys. Wherever possible use rechargeable batteries. If you have to use non-rechargeable, then buy the alkaline manganese variety rather than those that contain toxic heavy metals (cadmium and mercury). Get a battery charger – another item to add to the Xmas present list if you don’t already have one! Rather than throwing old plastic toys away, reuse and recycle them by selling toys no longer wanted or donating them to a charity shop or local hospital.
12. Energy. Turn your central heating thermostat down by 1 degree. You will save approximately 10% on your heating bill and reduce greenhouse emissions. If you feel chilly, put on an extra layer of clothing. If you haven’t already made the switch, decide to make one of your New Year’s resolutions changing to green electricity. There’s a buyer’s guide to green electricity on the Ethical Consumer website http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/FreeBuyersGuides/energyutilities/greenelectricitysuppliers.aspx.
13. Give your time and energy or a donation. For a register of all UK charities and their contact details, go to www.charity-commission.gov.uk. Or Timebank can put you in touch with a local volunteering project. See www.timebank.org.uk. A great source of ideas for donations as gifts can be found at www.goodgifts.org.
This site seeks to explore the heart and soul of downshifting to a more sustainable, ethical and holistic way of living and working, in keeping with the needs of the planet, humanity as a whole and ourselves as individuals. (read more)
