MEANINGFUL AND MINDFUL WORDS
As part of my exploration of my Word of the Year "Mindful" I've come across a few terms recently that have resonated with me. They're words that have depth and meaning to them, and they carry a little "something" that I'd like to incorporate into my own life. I chose five to explore further over March - which has been my month of meaningful, mindful reflection.
The final one of these words that caught my eye is Yutori....
YUTORI
So what is Yutori? Ikigaitribe describes it as a Japanese word that translates:
Yutori translates to ‘space; elbow-room; leeway; room; reserve; margin; allowance; latitude; time (to spare). Yutori means having sufficiency and ease—a sense of comfort, time, and financial or mental space. It’s a broad Japanese concept linked to everyday life and well-being, often seen as a positive and relaxed state of mind.
KEY ASPECTS OF YUTORI
- Application: Creating intentional gaps in your schedule - having a Do-Nothing Day, or spacing out your commitments to allow time for quiet in your day.
- Mental State: Fostering a state of mind free from urgency, allowing for mindfulness and reflection.
- Less Rushing: Allowing a few minutes of extra time to avoid running late and feeling pressured (it reduces road rage too!)
- Daily Routine: Taking time away from your phone - try a digital-free morning each week, take a walk without your phone, practice some bloom-scrolling.
- Financial Planning: Maintaining your spending/saving in a way that helps you to feel financially secure without depriving yourself by living in scarcity.
- Environment: Appreciating the empty space (white space) in a room - keeping the clutter under control so there's room to move and for your mind to be quiet.
YUTORI IN RETIREMENT
I think one of the biggest blessings in my life has been the extra time and space that retirement has brought to me. I love having that "space, elbow-room, leeway, and margin" to think things through, to breathe, and to have the time I need to finally focus on what I'd like to do in life.
I feel less rushed, less pressured, and there's a lot less juggling of commitments these days. There's lots of small things to keep me occupied, but there's more physical and mental breathing room now. I have more time to walk, time for my family, time for friends, and time for myself. I feel like I'm practicing yutori every day.
YUTORI - LETTING GO
Karen, a lovely Substacker I follow, had these great tips for letting go to allow some space in your heart and mind. I thought they tied in really well with the idea of Yutori.
- letting go of self criticism and embracing self love/compassion/acceptance.
- letting go of what other people think and doing what’s right for me (this covers so many things!)
- letting go of the belief that I’m responsible for everyone and holding on (lightly) to the love of family and friends…and feeling very grateful for it.
- letting go of the need to be who I was and being happy with who I am now i.e. not identifying myself in any particular role….just being me.
- letting go of control, busyness, rigidity and opening up to the flow of life.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Well, that's the end of my Mindful Words for March, and I hope something resonated with you if you followed along with me. What did you think of Yutori? Is Midlife allowing you some space in your life for what really matters?
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I love this word. Not so good at the letting go thing, but the idea of creating space (physically and metaphysically) is an enticing one.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting better at letting go - still have my 'holding too tight' moments, but I do love the space that's opened up with retirement. It's been the gift that keeps on giving as I lean into it more every year.
DeleteLove this post! ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you so much - it's a lovely concept isn't it? And one we need more of to combat this busy, noisy world we live in.
DeleteHi Leanne - A nice word and a nice concept.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that many people who actually know these calm ways of living are unable to practice it because they are trapped in a career which demands so much from them in such short time they have very little options to slow down.
So, many even retire early nowadays after working tirelessly and in the retired life they slow down and try to retrieve their mental peace and physical health which they lost when they were working.
Personally, now that I am retired, I am practising a number of steps that you have mentioned in your post.
Hi Pradeep - I've found retirement to be the same as you've described. It's given me time and space to figure out what I want to invest myself into, and what was just "filler" that I can let go. I love that I'm not devoting so many days each week to a 9-5 job that took up my headspace, but not my heartspace - now I get to follow my heart more and to breathe more....it's just lovely.
DeleteWhilst I did not know the word, my recovery from emotional exhaustion has me relying on ME to choose to leave spaces and gaps. I welcome them and love them more than ever. I can sit outside just feeling grateful for all I have and not do anything else. I have slowed my walking pace...this WAS a big change for me. Now I even welcome some restorative time on my bed in the day which tells my nervous system I am 'safe and at ease'. Karen's words often have messages within that I too can find I am nodding along!
ReplyDeleteTake care, Denyse x
Hi Denyse - thank you for introducing me to Karen's Substack page - she always has wise words to share. And yes, I'm finding that slowing my pace, leaving some breathing room, not filling every day to overflowing - all of these have been blessings that retirement has allowed into my life. I love the slower pace and just being kinder to myself these days - it feels like authentic living - and aging well. x
DeleteHi Leanne, Yutori is a new word for me and I like it! Looking at the key aspects of Yutori I already manage to keep space in my schedule where possible, but despite being retired for 18 months I still find myself rushing when I don’t need to. This past week I’ve broken away from Instagram and I’m not sure if/when I’ll return as it just requires more of my attention than I want to give it. Finally, last week I bought a few things to update the living space to a more Spring/Summer feel - cushions, a tall vase with some very real looking Peonies, etc. It didn’t cost much as I have a keen eye for a bargain :-) which in turn kept my finances on track! Isn’t retirement a great way to practice Yutori! Chrissie x
ReplyDeleteHi Chrissie - I think retirement and Yutori go hand in hand once you get the hang of slowing down and not being caught up in a work schedule. Your new decor items sound lovely - nothing beats adding a little bit of joy to the house - especially when it's well within budget. I love peonies and yours sound really pretty. Happy Easter! :)
DeleteYutori resonates with me. Space was my WOTY in 2018. I love breathing space & look forward to blank days on the calendar. I don't appreciate the rushed & hurried feeling of running out of time. Maybe that's why I'm doing some Swedish death cleaning & planning the move from my rural property as I enter the 8th decade? I've never enjoyed busyness & came across this quote years ago: I am fed up with busyness. Busy is an ego trip. The busier the schedule, the more valuable the busy person's every breath & word & heart beat. Busy validates the sense of self-importance. Consider de-busifying - Sorry, I can't make it. I'm not busy. (Elizabeth Withey; Edmonton Journal; Sat, April 11/06)
ReplyDeleteHi Mona - I loved that quote - the whole idea of an unbusy life resonates with me to the core of my being. I spent so many years being busy, rushed, fully committed, juggling a heap of responsibilities - and just 'doing' rather than 'being'. Retirement has given me the grace of slowing down, paring back, creating space, and just appreciating what a calm, peaceful life feels like - and I would never go back to that old way of living. You sound like you have it figured out too - including downsizing at the right time.
DeleteIt is fun reading about these new to me words, Leanne. The concept of space and time seem to go hand in hand. I agree with you how this has been one of the biggest blessings in retirement. I have (self-imposed) full on days, yet mostly my choice. The ‘letting go’ from Karen, gave me goosebumps. I am constantly working on this - my recent saying ‘the planet will go on without me’ - of course, including the people I love. Thank you for sharing your insights and a great post, Leanne. xx Erica
ReplyDeleteHi Erica - when I read Karen's post a few weeks ago I immediately thought about this word and the post I was in the process of writing - they just tied in so well. I've really enjoyed Karen's Substack - one of the few new ones that have continued to resonate with me. I love my quieter pace of life and have no desire at all to be constantly busy. One busy day here or there and I'm done for the foreseeable future - my heart and mind thrive in the quiet these days - the less pressure, the happier I am. x
DeleteAnother fabulous word Leanne, it's been great learning these new tersm and how you've adapted them to your way of life. Well done.
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - I loved discovering them and applying them to how life looks for me these days. I'll never be an advocate for busyness and over achievement - give me a quieter pace, breathing room, and a gentle flow - that makes my heart happy.
DeleteI like this word, too and can see why you added it to your exploration of words for mindful. While I don't necessarily have "breathing space" physically (I do live with a quasi-hoarder husband), I do feel I have it in my schedule most days. I love my days where I can focus on things that matter to me, not rushing from one thing to the next.
ReplyDeleteHi Pat - I think creating mental and emotional space helps us handle lack of space in other parts of our life - physical and social especially. I find that those quiet hours calm my spirit and help me cope with the noise around me when it's unavoidable. :)
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