Without further ado, here are the 40 pieces of advice I offered to myself to be less wrapped up in a hurried existence, and more peaceful this summer.
2. Wait your turn. When sharing food or conversation, be aware of turn-taking.
3. Walk slowly. Leave earlier to get where you need to get, and don’t rush.
4. Accept what you are presently doing. Stop thinking of what you are not doing or where you think you should be instead.
6. Read, don’t skim. It becomes a tough habit to break and, before you know it, you won’t be an attentive reader anymore.
7. Write a handwritten letter. Pay attention to your handwriting. Don’t hurry.
9. Pretend you’re retired for a day. What will you choose to do?
10. Stop yourself from getting annoyed by slow walkers or slow waiters. Why are you so impatient?! (If it's because you're in a rush, go back to #3)
12. Have a to-be list. Think not only of what you want to do in a day, but also want you want to be.
13. Wait for the light to turn. In the grand scheme of things, waiting a few extra seconds for a green light won’t hurt.
14. Put your fork down between bites. Either that or use chopsticks to slow down your eating.
15. Remember that being busy is a choice and completely within your control.
17. There is no such thing as a wasted day. A different day than you planned, perhaps. But wasted – never.
18. Stop measuring your self-worth in “likes”. Be yourself and let go of all else, before you tumble into self-doubt.
19. Let the waiter come to you. Don’t call him/her over if it’s not urgent.
20. Buy yourself flowers. Then, stop to look at them.
22. Picture a place where you have been at peace. Lose yourself in that imagery while you are in bed in the morning or at night. While doing so, relax your eyebrows and jaw, unclench your fists.
23. Stay. If you can’t travel, book a “staycation” and pretend you’re away. It takes discipline but it is so rewarding to be off exploring your own city.
24. Stop checking the weather. It’s not a certainty anyway. Instead, be prepared to accept whatever comes.
25. Hear the birds. I mean, really hear them.
27. Tidy an area once a week. Whether it’s your desk, your clothes or that stash of receipts you keep in your wallet – going through a small area once a week helps feel lighter.
28. Swim. Inside, outside, in the tub – wherever. Just carve out time to be immersed in water.
29. Set boundaries. Don’t let your work expand to fill all the time you have.
31. Slow down your speech and the questions you ask. It will automatically slow down your mind.
32. Enjoy the silence. Don’t fill it with anything.
33. Say NO to notifications. Almost nothing is urgent enough to require you to know about it (and respond to it) in a fraction of a second. Especially not Facebook. Nope, not even Instagram.
35. Tell yourself: “Everything is going as it should. I am happy”, and watch your reality follow.
36. Look up. Notice the sky or the leaves of a tree.
37. Sit quietly with a notebook in your hand. What will you write when your heart is still?
39. Save it for tomorrow. Truth is, sometimes our to-do lists are too ambitious. Transferring an item or two (or three) to another day won’t cause the Earth to implode.
40. Watch your mouth. Cut out any negativity in the words you use, especially to talk about yourself. Be sure to balance complaints with gratitude, until positivity wins over.
TELL ME:
Which ONE of these do you swear by?
Which of these do you want to try?
I would love to know your thoughts. Don't forget to share this post if you think a friend could benefit from this list!
From my heart to yours!