Waking up

Still in bed, stretch, yawn, rub your hands, let your body awaken.

Be aware of your breath: sitting on your bed or standing up, breathe deeply 3 times.

Start slow: no loud alarm clock (use music or a dawn simulator), no radio, television or mobile phone first thing in the morning. Give it at least 30 minutes before switching anything on.

Having breakfast:  make it into a moment that counts: sit down, taste it, savour it, enjoy it!

In the shower: Focus on your 5 senses.

Transport

In your car: Listen to music you love or a podcast you enjoy rather that the news. At the traffic lights:  breathe, bring your shoulders down, check there are no tensions here and there in your body and if there are, try and let go of them.

On the train or underground: if you can sit down, close your eyes, unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders and listen to your body.  If standing, drop your shoulders, focus on your feet and your balance and breathe. Read a book rather than scrolling aimlessly on your phone.

A micro-break: several times during the day, take a one-minute break.  Close your eyes and check in, listen to how you are breathing, relax.  Want to know how to do this precisely?  Here you go!

In meetings, breathe deeply with both feet firmly on the floor.

Walking out and about: focus on your feet, breathe mindfully.

In between two tasks, take time to breathe, drink a glass of water, look outside the window…

Lunch (minimum 20 minutes, ideally one hour): take time to really taste and enjoy what you are eating, preferably in good company or in a calm setting.   If you absolutely have to have lunch at your desk (to be avoided as much as possible), put your mobile on silent, put a nice relaxing picture up on your computer screen and focus only on your food.

Back home

Take a few minutes to unwind, doing nothing before you do anything else.  If it is a whirlwind in there no sooner you arrive, retreat to the bathroom to have a moment of peace!

Cooking dinner, be completely mindful of what you are doing. No television, no working on something on the table counter as you chop the vegetables, no mobile phone. Do just one thing at a time.

At dinner… you know what to do: taste, savour, enjoy!  And be present to those around you.

Before going to bed, allow for at least one hour to unwind without TV or any screen or any work-related activity.  Do something you love, something, joyful or calm and peaceful. Dim down the lights to start unwinding before sleep.

Enjoy!