Getting Centered

Many of the clients I work with in therapy have a goal of getting centered and prioritizing their wellbeing. They come to therapy to reclaim aspects of themselves that they feel they’ve lost as a result of their careers, their relationships, or the general passing of time. While I work with each one of my clients to craft a particular path toward discovering the centeredness they seek, I find that a few things are generally helpful in the process. If finding your center is something you desire, I invite you to consider implementing some of these simple practices in your daily life.

Go analog for at least 30 minutes a day. Turn off the computer, the cell phone, the television. Be intentional during that time. Pay attention to everything around you, and take note of how you feel when you aren’t distracted by technology.

At least once a day, be mindful of focusing on one thing at a time. Notice how much easier it is to think clearly when you’re not diverting your attention to multiple things at once.

Be in nature at least once every day. And don’t just be there; be present there. Breathe deeply and notice the perfect patterns and rhythms of the natural world.

Contemplate your smallness at least once a day. Be humbled by the realization that you are one small—but essential—spec in the exquisite tapestry of our vast, limitless universe. What does that allow you to let go of?

Contemplate your potential at least twice a day. Remind yourself that you have endless potential, just as you are right now. Consider this often, and be in awe of it. What shifts in your thoughts and in the messages you tell yourself when you become open to the countless possibilities that exist?

Work on finding and strengthening your physical center. If you’ve ever surfed, ridden a skateboard, or taken a Pilates class, you may already know how to do this. Once you’ve found your center—which is often referred to as your core—you’ve tapped into a remarkable source of strength and energy for the rest of your body. The active process of discovering how to center and align your body yields useful information about how to get centered in other aspects of your life.

As often as possible, allow yourself to get immersed in a book, a movie, or a beautiful piece of music. Notice what happens when you get so wrapped up in something that everything else around you fades away. What happens to your thoughts, your emotions, your sense of time?

Find at least one miracle a day in the beauty around you. Miracles abound—you just have to keep your eyes open and acknowledge when you’ve witnessed one. Whenever possible, make a miracle happen for yourself or someone else.