I thought experimenting with certain changes to my lifestyle was an incredibly useful experience as it helped me not only understand how decisions I make can have a greater impact on the surrounding world but also how certain pieces of my life could be adjusted to become more efficient and intentional. I found the challenges of eating without distractions and watching the sunrise to be really valuable in grounding me and making me more mindful going into my day. I usually wake up pretty early but I also either have a workout or homework in the morning before class, so I definitely feel like I’m in a bit of a rush. By the time I show up to my 8:30 class I feel a little stressed already. I found that taking the time to eat my breakfast in peace and watch the sunrise really helped me to relax myself before my day started. Unfortunately, It is definitely a bit of a time commitment and I'll only be getting busier as the semester goes on. My one time challenge was to write down a list of core values, which I’ve definitely done before, but It’s important to see how these evolve and reiterate them a couple of times. Understanding what you find legitimately valuable is incredibly important to de-stressing. We all worry too much. When I found myself frustrated about something, I would simply take a breath, ask myself how seriously this impacted the things I found valuable, and usually realize it was unimportant.
As far as barriers I face to making these challenges permanent, I think that in a way, there are none. I may adjust these challenges to better fit my lifestyle but remembering to take a minute to be mindful in the morning is certainly something that I can continue to do after the challenge is over, and considering how much better it has made me feel on the days I have done it, I certainly will try and continue with the practice in some way shape or form going forward. As a philosophy major, I spend a lot of time trying to flesh out the things that are legitimately important to me, but I find that I rarely actually take these into consideration when making decisions. My strategy of taking a step back and asking myself whether a certain situation is actually something that matters or simply a minor inconvenience has made my life markedly better and I certainly will continue with that. I was shocked at how much simply was not an issue when I considered it more thoroughly.
As I didn’t have any challenges that were a massive departure from my norm, I think that I won’t have much of an issue making these challenges (in some way, shape, or form) permanent. While it feels good to be able to incorporate these challenges into my life so easily, I think that I should step out of my comfort zone a little more as we go forward.