"When You're Doing the Dishes, Take Off Your Shoes" | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Family Friends

"When You're Doing the Dishes, Take Off Your Shoes"

Being in the moment, and giving yourself 100% to what you are doing.

35
"When You're Doing the Dishes, Take Off Your Shoes"

Since getting to college, so much has changed. One of the scariest changes I've experienced is the feeling that life is passing me by at an alarming rate and I'm sitting through it. Recently, I've been struggling with how to "take charge of my life". I want to maximize my time and live my life to the fullest.

So far, I've come to the realization that there is no one thing I can do to change this. Rather, there are a series of lifestyle or thought changes I need to implement so that I don't look up from my phone one day and realize that I'm 70 and my whole life has gone by. The first change in this series came to me when I was getting ready to go on a road trip this past weekend. I told myself that I was going to attempt to be 100% in the moment all weekend. This is hard for me because I am a planner. I get a rush from being productive, I always want to be getting something done and I'm usually multitasking.

At the beginning of the trip, I told this to one of my friends. She agreed and says that she does the same. Then she gave me the unusual analogy that you should always take your shoes and coat off when doing the dishes. This was a metaphor for giving yourself to what you're doing 100%. You get out what you put in, which may seem trivial when it comes to the little things like dishwashing and vacuuming, but it all adds up. Once she said this it got me thinking. I focused on immersing myself in and fully experiencing every moment I was a part of that weekend.

Honestly, that made a huge difference. When someone was talking to me, I put my phone away, made eye contact, and really listened to what they had to say, hoping to learn something. It's hard to remember to slow down, especially in such a fast-paced lifestyle with a brain that is wired to constantly be focused on the next thing. However, I think that focusing on the now was part of what made me experience so memorable and great last weekend. It is a technique I hope to keep implementing and practicing and who knows where it will end up taking me.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
coffee

It's finally flu season! It's around that time in the school year where everyone on campus is getting sick, especially if they live in the dorms. It's hard to take care of yourself while being sick at school, but here are some coping mechanisms to get you on the path to feeling better!

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

The Battle Between College And My Mental Health

College isn't easy, and I'm afraid I'm not going to make it at the rate my mental health is going.

424
woman sitting on black chair in front of glass-panel window with white curtains
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

Everyone tells you that college is hard, but they fail to explain why. Sure, classes are hard. Math sucks, and political science can be so boring. But that's not even what's killing me about college. What's killing me about college is my deterioating mental health.

As a college student, I feel as if people don't understand just how exhausted I, and fellow college students are. We have so many things going on, all the time, and sometimes it's hard to explain to people how we feel. Personally...I'm tired. I'm sad. And I'm struggling every single day with my emotions. But the thing is, it hasn't always been this way. I haven't always hated school, so why am I feeling like this now?

Keep Reading...Show less
manager

For the average 20-something, life moves pretty fast. You’ve got classes, friends, relationships, jobs, family, and whatever else we overcommit ourselves with. I probably should have learned to say no to adding more to my schedule a long time ago, but instead here are 11 things that can be more helpful than coffee.

Keep Reading...Show less
Parks And Rec
NBC

Your professor mentions there's a test in a few days and you didn't know about it.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf

Resting b***h face. Defined as a person, usually a girl, who naturally looks mean when her face is expressionless, without meaning to. Many of you suffer from this "condition." You are commonly asked what's wrong, when nothing is. What people don't know is that is just your facial expression. Here are some things they wish you knew.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments