"Doing things takes effort. I have to try hard".

At school we’re told to “try harder”.  For the child this will mean tensing. As an adult, that same child holds the pen more tightly than necessary. Maybe lifts a shoulder, or two, pulls the head towards the paper, restricts the breathing. All this interferes with the persons ease and sense of well-being. 

And so it is with so many of our activities, working at the computer, playing tennis etc etc. 

Such tightening then comes to feel normal and so appears to be necessary for the activity. This is a false association.

Maybe this belief that life is effortful underlies all activities. 

It’s certainly worth adding a question mark to this idea and seeing then if life is perhaps easier than you think.