Whether you walk/cycle/drive or public transport it to your daily destination it is an opportunity to be mindful, to ease yourself from one area of your life to another.  Mindfulness creates opportunities for you to watch how the world around you is moving – how the sun is coming up, what the weather is doing, the noises that are being made or the smells of things getting cooked.  Noticing how the world unfurls in the morning brings you back to where you are in the here and now.  It brings all of you to where you physically are… so that half of you isn’t on the way to work whilst your mind is still at home stressing out or at work fretting over something that hasn’t even happened yet.

Sometimes there is a marked difference between our home life and our work life; it might be a chronic thing or something which is happening just for a short time.  Either way, it isn’t easy to move between the two if they are wildly different or especially if one of them is more stressful than the other.

Try to see the journey to and from work as a time of transition, a way of centering yourself.

By being mindful on the journey you arrive ready to connect with others and with the day that is ahead of you.  You are productive sooner as you don’t need to ‘get into work mode’ because you have arrived already in it.

With mindfulness, we know what to do and what not to do to help ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

If, like the rest of us, you spend a good portion of your day with your thoughts somewhere else it is best to start small.  So here are a few ways to practice mindfulness when journeying between two places.

1. Notice your immediate surroundings – what are you walking/cycling by?  How does the steering wheel feel to your hands?
2. What do you see/ smell/ hear as you travel along? – birds, the breeze, lashing rain, hot coffee wafting through the air…
3. Check in ~ not with what you are thinking but with how you are feeling – happy, relieved, sad, nervous, energised etc

Equally it is the same on the way back home in the evening.  If you are coming from a stressful environment you arrive at home peaceful and reconnected with yourself, ready to relax as soon as you walk in the door or to get stuck into any jobs or hobbies you may enjoy.  Or if you are coming home to a place that is more stressful than work you will arrive calmer so as you can act from choices that are made freely; not reactionary ones made from frustration etc.

Commuting can be a way of slowing down, a chance to reconnect with yourself.  It is a great way to start and finish the work day and to feel present.  At the same time you are enhancing your productivity as you are more focused on exactly what you are doing – in yourself, in work and at home.

Enjoy

Other posts you might like:

What is mindfulness?

5 things to do whilst boiling the kettle

Although we are already ten days into 2011, for a lot of us, today marks the first day that we move out of holiday mode and back into our usual routine.  Being on holidays and enjoying all the festivities and seasonal delights that come with the end of a year is good fun.  Yet for myself [and I would venture to say many others] I am ready to get back into doing things of a more productive nature, too much of anything can become same old same old.

Often, that is one of the points of festivities, especially long ones like Christmas.  We enjoy the late starts, late nights, too much food and general moseying around doing not much except catching up with others and doing nothing in particular.  As non focused and uneventful as that may sound it is in itself useful and necessary; we all need periods of downtime to recharge and to reach a point of feeling that we have relaxed and feasted enough.  We become fed up with and almost yearn to be back doing activities that nurture us and add meaning to our life; to wake up in the morning with the knowledge that we have stuff to do, to learn, to offer others.

We have partaken of all the stuff we thought we would like more of yet after a short time we realise that too much of it is not what we really want; it offers us no long term satisfaction.  It merely emphasises that that which is external to us is only a tool to enable us to nourish our inner self.  That external pleasures and material objects are fleeting and should be used as an aide to our inner journey; not as a life in themselves.

So I wish you all a wonderful 2011 filled with learning and enjoyment.  Take it easy yet at the same time march onward with purpose doing what you are called to do.

Live your gifts, that is why you have them.

Enjoy

photo by Sean McEntee via Flickr

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Some of my posts from last year you might like to read:

Delight in all the turns of your life

Simplicity Thursday – 5 things to do whilst boiling the kettle

In the silence are all the answers you seek

Live your  song

The ‘wellness industry’ (fitness, retreats, health drinks, alternate therapies etc) is booming.  Billions is spent each year all over the world with people looking for ways to improve their current lifestyle and feel more energetic.  As with many things in life, often the search is carried too far afield.  We look for another to help us when the means to accomplish what we seek is right under our noses.  This being the case I decided to post a list  (by no means complete) of ten life enhancing ways that cost absolutely nothing.  They require little or no planning and are easy to incorporate into daily life.

So here is a list of just 10 free and easy ways to enhance your life:

1. When you dream, dream big.

Donald Trump said “If you’re going to be thinking, you may as well think big.”  What goes on in your own head costs nothing so you may as well go for it!

2. Take a few deep breaths during the day

Often we are so busy rushing and trying to get stuff done that most of our life is lived unconsciously.  During the course of a day it is easy to take a few seconds to re-centre yourself, to re-align with your inner guide so that what you are doing and the choices you are making are the ones you really wish to make and not choices that come about as your Ego reacts to a situation or habit.

3. Sit up straight

If you have ever watched a young child sit you will have noticed that they naturally sit with a straight back.  Sitting up straight not only has a beneficial effect on your posture but also puts less strain on your back, joints and muscles.

4. Walk with your head held high

‘chest out shoulders back’ – good posture makes you look and feel more confident and makes your clothing hang better.

5. Be pleasant and respectful to other human beings

What you sow you reap.

6. Be thankful for what you have

When you appreciate what you already have you set forth energies to let the universe know that you are abundant.  Like attracts like so feeling abundant attracts more abundance.

7. Be happy for others

Praise that which you want.  As with #6, being happy when others have or do something you would like sends forth energies to the universe to tell it that you are happy with what you have but are available to receive more.  By delighting in others good fortune you participate in it in a positive way, you invite it into yours and it becomes part of your life – again, like attracts like.

8. Have a bedtime routine

Getting into a routine is also a good way for your body to realise that it is time to sleep.  You can make your routine personal to what works for you.  Start maybe 30-60 minutes prior to the time you would like to fall asleep.  A few things your routine could include are: a shower followed by pjs, a 5 minute tidy of the main rooms, planning for tomorrow, making lunches, meditation or laying out of clothing for the next day and a spot of reading in bed for 20 minutes to finish off the day.  Do what ever suits you, makes you feel relaxed and fits in with your lifestyle and commitments.

9. Wake up 10 minutes earlier.

You will be amazed at how much extra you will get done, even if it is spending time having a more leisurely breakfast.

10. Be still with yourself.

Give yourself time to just be; to be with your own energy, not the thoughts and ideas of who you have learnt to be.  Being still allows your higher self (who you truly are) to come to the fore to guide you.

Enjoy

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Other postings you may enjoy reading:

Honouring your core values

Are you a participant or a bystander in your life?

Look for the oneness in others today

Simplicity can be simple

Dream Big~it’s free

All the moments of our day are there to be lived.  By being mindful of the small as well as the big periods of time in the day our awareness increases and we become more conscious of what we are doing and how we are living.  Often it is in the little bits of ‘spare’ time we have where we can be productive – micro productivity.  Those moments which easily pass by and are not thought of can add up to a large part of the day.  In any twelve hour period, say 8am and 8pm, if we spend 5 minutes each hour not being mindful of what we are doing this adds up to an hour a day!

5 things to do whilst you boil the kettle (or waiting for the toast to pop etc, etc) :

1. Go through the utensil drawer and get rid of anything that you never use

Pick just one thing and throw it out, if you aren’t using it then no one else will probably either.  Throw out anything that you can’t remember what you bought it for – the butter curler, avocado de pipper, citrus zester or at least the pair of tongs which works the least.

2. Wipe the bit in the fridge where the milk sits

It usually needs it

3. Take one thing that doesn’t belong in the kitchen and put it away

4. Find a home in a cupboard for something that usually sits on the counter

Having clutter free benches in the kitchen makes life easier.  It gives more room when preparing food and makes for easier and quicker cleaning

5. Just be

Spend those few moments being still, letting all that has happened during the day or will happen wash over you.  Realign yourself.  Often this can be the most productive way to spend a few minutes.

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image by Wendy Piersall

Enjoy

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Other posts you might like reading:

Life is in the doing not the having

Why living the life of your dreams is not being selfish

Our choices make our life

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The changing of the seasons is always a good time to take a look at our wardrobes and see what is and is not worth storing for another six months or so.  Deciding to streamline your clothes is often a great way of not only adding a fresh look to clothes you already have but to get rid of things which are taking up space and energy in your life and not enhancing it.

A day or so before tackling your wardrobe:

Before sorting out your wardrobe go through magazines or catalogues and pull out some pictures of how you would like to dress.  Or go online and download some pictures from fashion sites or people whose style you admire.  Create a montage of the pictures to give you an overall feel for the look you would like to achieve.

Also pick three words to describe how you wish to look/ present yourself/feel eg: tailored, classy, polished or funky, arty, fashionable or modern, professional, comfortable etc.  You can add these words to your montage or put them on another piece of paper in big letters.

On the day of simplification:

1. Stick your ideas montage and words up in full view of the mirror you will try stuff on in front of.

2. Set up 3 piles and 1 large bag

Pile 1 Clothes to keep ~ clothes that make you feel and look the way you want

Pile 2 Clothes to keep that need attention ~ ones needing to be mended, altered or washed

Bag Charity shop ~ if it isn’t good enough to give to a friend it isn’t good enough to give to a charity shop (you are not helping them by giving them items that are not fit for sale)

Pile 3 Recycling ~ anything that is not good enough for the charity shop

3. Take everything out of your wardrobe including all clothes, shoes, bags, accessories etc and place them on your bed, a rail or even on the floor if you have to

Start trying on clothes

4. Anything that doesn’t fit anymore = charity bag or recycling pile

If it doesn’t fit now it’s no good to you.  If you loose weight to fit into it, you probably will want something new anyway so release it from taking up energy and space in your life.

5. Anything that is ratty or has had it’s day = recycling pile

You may have loved it, you may still love it but if it doesn’t fit in with how you wish to portray yourself from now on it is best to get rid of it.  If it’s not good enough to give to a friend then it isn’t good enough for you to wear!

6. Anything that doesn’t make you feel your three words = release it…just let it go

If a piece of clothing is not making you feel how you want to then you are allowing into your life something which detracts from how you want to live.  It is taking away from your life not adding to it.

You should be left with clothes that fit you and make you feel your three words or tie in with the pictures you picked out

7. Try on a few combinations of outfits and accessories – experiment

8. Anything which is only used once you should seriously consider if  it really deserves the space in your life

What to do with the piles

Keep Pile

Place all items back in your wardrobe keeping items of similar length together, shirts, trousers and so on, further sorting into colours within each length.  When replacing them put all the hangers facing the hook inwards; as you wear each item turn it the other way.  At the end of the month you can see just how many pieces you have actually been wearing and can reassess which items are really worth the space in your life.

Keep and fix Pile

Place items into the wash or take them to the dressmakers (or do it yourself if you are handy) – do this as soon as possible.  If they are not tended to within 2 weeks then they are not that important to you or your wardrobe and should be let go of.

Recycle Pile

Sit down and cut up any old clothes suitable for cleaning cloths or rags and cut off the buttons for your button jar.  Throw out the leftovers or use as one use cleaning cloths for dirty jobs.

*Button jars are handy if you need to find a spare button to sew on a garment.  They are also handy for children old enough to play with them – threading onto wool, sorting into colours etc (hours of free enjoyment!)

Give Bag

Take your bag of clothes and donate to a charity shop.  Do this as soon as possible to remove this now unwanted energy from your home.

This is a great habit to get into at the change of seasons: spring and autumn.  Each season when you reassess your clothing you streamline your wardrobe possessions.   After a few times of doing this you will end up with a wardrobe that works and is totally flexible and wearable.  It is amazing when you work out a good sized wardrobe it seems so much easier to find something to wear each day.  Less choice often means what you do have is used to a much greater extent.

Enjoy

(image source: Darwin Bell)

Other posts you might like:

Simplicity tip #2

Simplicity tip #3

Life is in the doing not the having

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How this is done is personal and you should do it in a way that makes it important to you; in a way that carries meaning.  Whether it is big or small is beside the point as it is the symbolism that it carries for you which is of importance.

So have a think over the next day or so and see what you would like to do.  If you are working or busy on the 31 December you still have time afterwards or even before to do something or you could imbue your whole day with the spirit you wish to mark.

A few ideas to get you thinking:

Make a list if you like of all the great things that happened to you during 2009 as well as all the things you achieved then congratulate yourself.

Cook a nice dinner for yourself and family or friends and chat about the year you have all had.

Do something that you wanted to do all year but never got around to as a send off to the year and to remind you in the coming year to get on with things.

Go for a drive somewhere and take in how wonderful nature can be and sit for a while and remember your year.

I am sure you will have some other fantastic suggestions of your own that are personal to you.  Whatever you decide to do, do it with your whole heart.

Enjoy

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Other postings:

Simplicity can be simple

Our choices make our life

Honouring your core values

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All these expectations make us think too much about the what ifs and what if nots.  They set our sights on what we think will happen, what we expect to happen and we spend time pondering and fretting about stuff all from our own singular perspective.  Pondering like this does not make available to us extraordinary opportunities that could happen that we have not allowed for.  These, for the most part, won’t happen because we have closed ourselves off to their possibilities and even if they do present themselves we may not ‘see’ them because we are too busy only looking into our own little box.

When we let go of our expectations for an event or for ourselves, we allow for the possibilities of all that is more than we think is achievable.  We allow for energies to work in our favour, to give us the greatest growth.  For we don’t know what the world has to offer us and by confining ourselves to a small box and only expecting certain outcomes we limited ourselves and what is possible for us to become, do and be.

Enjoy

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Other postings you might like to read:

Are you living your true self 24 hours a day?

Pick your thoughts like you pick your apples

5 steps to change a non useful internal possession

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ENTRANCE AREA

With the festive season fast approaching and the probabilty that an increased number of guests will be arriving into your home, it is a great time to sort out the entrance area.  To get rid of things which don’t need to be there or that have adopted it as their home (the  household shoe collection, junk mail, knick knacks that were put there to look ‘nice’) – it all goes to make the area not as welcoming or as calming as it could be.

As I have said before, by setting the timer your work is more focused and it doesn’t turn into a half day job complete with coffee and lunch break.

THE TASK:

1. Set your timer for 30 minutes
   
2. Spend this time removing anything from the entrance of your home that does not need to be there
   • ~~Take it to where it belongs
   • ~~Bin it
3. Now give the whole area a clean – dust and polish any surfaces, clean the window or mirror, sweep or vac the floor
4. Put back only what is absolutely needed by the front door and maybe something welcoming like flowers or a lamp.

The entrance to your home is what greets you when arriving.  It makes it nicer for visitors but more importantly it makes it more restful and calming for you – you arrive home to your space; your sanctuary.  It welcomes you after being out and sets the mood when you walk in.

Enjoy

.Other postings you might like:

Honouring your core values

Simplicity November tip #8

Simplifying your current lifestyle is beneficial, not only to you but also those around you.  If you feel calmer and more in control of what is happening that translates to having more time and energy for those areas of your life that you value the most – be that family, hobbies, projects, Christmas festivities etc. When you begin to eliminate those activities or possessions which do not add to the life you wish to live; you make room for activities and possessions you would like to include.

A full cup cannot have any more water added to it – after a certain point it just becomes a mess.  You must empty some of the old water out in order to replenish with fresh water.

A lot of anxiety stems from an inefficient household; too many possessions laying around the place, never being able to find anything straight away or  cleaning which takes twice as long as it should because you spend most of the time tidying before you actually start to clean!  All the extra time you spend doing or moving stuff which is of no value to you or your life, is time that could be spent on something else which will add value, meaning and enjoyment.

That is why during November I have been posting easy tips to help you start simplifying your life through decluttering your home.  By starting with small to dos which you don’t have to put aside half a day or more to accomplish, it’s easy to incorporate them into your present life.  Another plus is that you (and your family) will gradually change your habits which should offer more lasting results.  It will also make you more aware that when a particular portion of your life gets a bit out of hand, eg a shelf or kitchen work surface, you know it can be sorted out in a small amount of time. Simplicity is a lifestyle not a one off project.  It is also something that is tailor made to each person or family – knowing and understanding what works for you and how you like doing things is all part of living simply.  In the end, it is about understanding yourself and living in accordance with your own specific gifts, talents and path in life – about doing things the way that suits how you are within not how you wish others to perceive you externally.

I will continue with these small to dos for the rest of the month to hopefully help you to simplify your life a small bit and make way for all the good things that December brings with festivities, catching up with people and making our homes warm and inviting.  If you have any areas you would like a few tips on to help you to simplify, please leave a comment or email me.  I am always looking for new ideas for postings and would appreciate it.

When we eliminate the unnecessary we illuminate the necessary

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Other postings you might enjoy:

Simplicity tip #1

Top 3 habits to simplify your life

Are you living your true self 24 hours a day?

Simplicity tip #6

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SOCKS

Here is a quick one to see out the week.

THE TASK

~ Timer set at 15 minutes (may take only 5 minutes depending on your sock count!)

~ Empty socks out and go through them

~ Get rid of :

1. any that no longer have a pair
2. any that are starting to go on the heal or toe -  make the decision to get rid of them now or if you wish to keep them to the very last then pay attention when folding the washing for when they finally bite the dust.
3. Any that no longer fit (for those with growing people in the household)

~ Gather all the paired socks together and put them back

~ Finished

If there are several people in the home you may like to take each in turn or announce you are having a sock clear out session and all must participate for a few minutes.

USES FOR OLD SOCKS (clean ones!)

Cotton socks make great dusters

Use as a ‘one use rag’

Make a sock puppet for a child

image by Tie Guy II via Flickr

Other postings:

Simplicity November tip #2