Sometimes every day can blur into the next so that you end up at the weekend wondering where all the time went. I find that sometimes adding small things to my day is a way to add moments of pleasure or joy, or it’s a way to notice the moments in my day that bring me pleasure or joy.
A friend of mine posted Nick Drake’s song Pink Moon on Youtube recently and I felt uplifted just listening to this song for a few minutes.
For a few months last year, I tried Tim Ferriss’ method of starting my day by writing 3 things that could make the day great. I don’t do this exercise daily anymore, but I notice that when I do mindfully choose to create these moments, I feel more satisfied at the end of the day. If you’re a person who likes lists or doing, this is a great way to use that skill to make a point to slow down.
Here are a few things I put on my list:
- Savouring my coffee
- Cuddling with one of my sons
- Watching a show on Netflix
- Having a glass of wine
- Eating a pastry from Weibel, a fancy pastry shop in Aix-en-Provence
- Continue my paint by number
- Start a new book – State of Wonder
- Listen to A.J. Abram’s podcast
- Stargaze
- Go for a run
- Meet up with a friend at a park with my kids
Then at the end of the day, sometimes I would reflect on what I enjoyed about the day and wrote that down.
Additional Exercises
Often I would add other exercises to add to the mix. Some of my favourites were:
- Listing 3 things I was grateful for
- Choosing a few things that I wanted to take off my To Do list
All of these exercises did not take long to do and they brought presence to my day. They helped me slow down and savour parts of my day, even though other parts were challenging, boring, or routine. If you’re a person who struggles to slow down, these are small things that you can do that offer big impact.
Oh and one more thing – everywhere I go I’ve been hearing this song by Drake. Enjoy.
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