Do less

Everyone’s so busy these days. Busy busy busy! It’s the standard reply you hear from everyone you ask, “what are you up to?” “I’m busy”. It’s like a cult. A cult of the busy; dashing between appointments, carrying a baby and a briefcase (if Hollywood movies are anything to go by), sipping coconut lattes out of a killing-the-environment-takeaway-cup because you were too busy to find your keep-cup. But what if we said no deal to the busyness and deal to embracing more time, more space and less pace (it rhymes).

Unplug: Our phones are now an extension of us and a low battery or a misplaced charger or phone is a cause for great anxiety. 16%? I’m dying here! Being glued to our phones means we are not living in the present, we are past dwelling (who liked my post?) or future tripping (what if no one likes my post?). Try turning off your notifications (those red circles and pings can be unsettling) or putting your phone on airplane mode/ do not disturb regularly or having a digital detox day a week. This may initially feel weird like you’re missing a limb, but soon you will be realising how much you’re gaining like noticing the flowers blooming in your street or the friendly face opposite you on the tram.

Seek Joy: Make joy a priority in your life. I mean, I love a to-do list as much as the next Virgo but why not try writing a list of everything that brings you joy instead and do one or two a day. It could be a walk around the block, blasting some 90’s music in the car, browsing many leather-bound books at a bookshop or spending time with a 2 or 4 legged friend. Although there may be some things you need to do, try and lean into your feelings. Feeling tired? Roll into it by reading or bathing. Feeling inspired? Throw yourself into work and burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars… (thanks Kerouac). There’s no point dragging yourself kicking and screaming through something you’re not enthused about as the results will be blah. Listen to your inner wisdom. There’s a time to retreat and a time to burn bright.

Morning Glory: The first hour of your day has a significant impact on the rest of it so start with things you love. So avoid your phone if possible and ground yourself for the day. I’m currently doing the program suggested in the book, “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. He says; “How you wake up each day and your morning routine dramatically affects your levels of success in every single area of your life.” I love it and it does set a good tone. Miracle Mornings involves doing 10 minutes each of what Hal calls, SAVERS: silence, affirmations, visualisations, exercise, reading and scribing every morning. Although add, edit or disregard this list to allow for more personal joy of course.

Simplify: Simplifying and minimising creates more literal and virtual space to move, breathe and think with clarity. Avoid decision fatigue by decluttering your wardrobe and kitchen. “The usual today Madam?” “Yes please Jeeves, the denim skirt and paleo muesli are particularly excellent this year!” If a uniform is good enough for Mark Zuckerberg, leader of the free (online) world, it’s good enough for me. Unsubscribe from pesky email lists, take random stuff to the op shop and streamline your systems. Less stuff means less mess means less worry means doing less and being more. Hurrah!

By unplugging, grounding and simplifying, much needed space is created in your brain and home to allow room for joy dear reader.

Love and light and happy-happy-joy-joy xxx Yvette

For more:

Miracle Mornings http://www.miraclemorning.com/start-here/

The Minimalists https://www.theminimalists.com/pitch/