Observation: humans and their foibles

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“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear”, Buddha

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Facing the outside world for the first time at urmm 3:30pm today, I was awoken with the desire to indulge fully and completely with today’s ‘Insight’ and incorporate more of a spiritual tone. Ogling other sapiens at such a late stage on an intermittently sunny / sleety / moody / bright Friday afternoon (still daytime mind you), what struck me was the paramount importance of having a daily ritual – and sticking to it – especially when living the life of a freelancer.

Existing as a freelancer for over six years now, often without a routine if I am not working on an inhouse project or without a morning meeting in the diary, I have often feared for the state of my daily existence on a daily basis! I am secretly confident that many in a similar situation will agree with this.

With both the rise of the laptop and the resignation of so many professionals from corporate life, aka ‘getting out quick’, not forgetting the SJP ‘cool sitting on the bed with laptop’ factor, this lack of daily routine must be rife right now.

I truly believe that a routine is vital. It is vital for the brain to stay alert, to think creatively, to maintain an an existence on an even keel, or as even as is possible. Freelancers out there need to get out of bed at the same time everyday, virtually visualise that they have an office job to go to, and dress as presentably as is possible (without going overboard). It is so easy to cut short the morning ritual and vaguely brush teeth and ‘go’.

Feeling good on the outside HAS to affect the inside. Self-preservation is key and when it slowly slips away, we are swiftly in a damn fine mess.

A routine is in fact fundamental for sanity, for happiness, for consistency, for productivity, for our mental health. We actually like ourselves a lot more when we have routine. For the irreligious amongst us, there is something to be said for customs, traditions and habits. For if anything, they fill a void when loneliness strikes and one just can’t seem to get their day going.

As Buddha said, eons before there were anti-social electronic toys to hide behind, we need to keep our bodies in good health for a clear mind. This is our duty to ourselves (and our long-suffering families and friends).

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