George Magazine

Choose the right activity ... think back to the times you were happiest and most absorbed. flow. Playing with your children can provide a perfect experience of flow that also strengthens your most important relationships – as long as you're not also checking your mobile phone. So how do you choose the right activity for you? The clue lies in Dr Seligman's words: think back to the times you were happiest and most absorbed. What were you doing? Whatever activity it was, it used what Seligman calls your signature strengths such as creativity, curiosity, bravery, social intelligence, humour or appreciation of beauty. Expressions of these strengths can take many forms: courage may be expressed by joining a theatre company or by training to climb Mount Everest. Know what your strengths are, then choose activities that play to them. A love of the outdoors may see you surfing or rock climbing, while a passion for nature could lead to hours absorbed in bird watching. An interest in ideas and socialising could lead to starting a book club. You could even take up again the piano or drums that you enjoyed playing as a child. Finding the time But how can we fit yet another activity into lives that are already being lived at a break-neck pace? Simple: the time swap. Take time from an activity that is distracting, such as TV watching or social media, and use it for your chosen activity instead. Try a 'news-free' day (no newspapers or TV) one day a week as a powerful aid to recharging. Involve others. Make appointments to walk with a friend or hire a personal trainer to show up three mornings a week for a workout. Some activities, such as bushwalking or craft, can also be shared family time. Play to your strengths. If you like gardening, mow the lawn says Sara Lazar, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School and leader of a study that found meditation grows parts of the brain dealing with attention that normally shrink with age. What driving racing cars and meditation have in common is focus, a disciplined attention to being 'in the moment', which leads to a feeling of 'flow'. Dr Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, has described 'flow' as "deep absorption and immersion … there is neither thought nor feeling. You are simply 'one with the music'." Flow is not the same as pleasure, which is why the glass of red on the couch does not always switch off the stress response. "The good life consists of the roots that lead to flow," says Dr Seligman. "It consists of first knowing what your signature strengths are and then re-crafting your life to use them more." Finding the right fit Activities as diverse as skydiving, cycling, singing, playing music, gardening, tai chi, bushwalking and carpentry can all lead to and plant a garden with your family. If you don't, pay someone else to do it while you do something you love. Streamline your work schedule. Many people find a small percentage of their work generates the most important results and that much time is spent on tasks that are not worth the effort. Can you reduce any of these? Meetings are notorious time-wasters; ensure each one you attend is necessary. Focus on one task at a time; you may feel pressure to multitask, but studies have shown it is ineffective and inefficient. A virtuous circle By taking time to relax, you'll find that you are more efficient, more focused and less likely to burn out. Relationships with colleagues improve. Learning and memory strengthen with physical activity, which in turn increases your effectiveness, which, in a virtuous circle, lowers your stress levels. Most importantly, you'll be present in your own life. As you discover you have more time than you think, you'll slow down and enjoy yourself more. You will, in fact, be fully living the one and only life you have. And isn't that the point of it all? www.stgeorge.com.au/george George 43

• Cover
• George reveals
• Business essentials
• I did it my way
• Customer case study
• St.George says
• Time out
• Parting thought