1.Wake with the sun
There is no purer light than what we see when we open our eyes first thing in the morning.
This time of year, I’d love to wake with the sun, as it rises around 8 o’clock. 😉 I’d be happy just to see the sun, but this part of the country is nearly constantly gray and cloudy all winter. I have one of those blue light theray boxes for seasonal affective disorder, but nothing beats real sunshine.
2.Sit
Mindfulness without meditation is just a word.
3. Make your bed
The state of your bed is the state of your head. Enfold your day in dignity.
Oh, I love this one! I’m very pro-bed making. There’s something so satisfying about pulling back the covers at night. I know that some people say that it doesn’t matter, you’re just going to un-make it that night, so why bother. Here’s why it matters: The Way We Do Anything is the Way We Do Everything. More on that later, as I feel it deserves a post of its own.
4.Empty the hampers
Do the laundry without resentment or commentary and have an intimate encounter with the very fabric of life.
I must be weird because I actually like washing clothes. It feels good . Then again, I’m a recovering from OCD, so that may explain it
5. Wash your bowl
Rinse away self-importance and clean up your own mess. If you leave it undone, it will get sticky.
This can be taken both literally and figuratively. Letting something sit and fester, be it the dishes or a problem in life, rarely makes it better. In fact, it often makes it worse.
6. Set a timer
If you’re distracted by the weight of what’s undone, set a kitchen timer and, like a monk in a monastery, devote yourself wholeheartedly to the task at hand before the bell rings.
7. Rake the leaves
Rake, weed, or sweep. You’ll never finish for good, but you’ll learn the point of pointlessness.
8. Eat when hungry
Align your inexhaustible desires with the one true appetite.
I love to cook and to eat. But I do only eat when I’m hungry, not when I’m bored or stressed.
9. Let the darkness come
Set a curfew on the internet and TV and discover the natural balance between daylight and darkness, work and rest.
When I had difficulty sleeping a few years ago, I learned good sleep hygiene. That means no TV or computer at least an hour before bed. Our brains and circadian rhythms are so very tired to light and darkness. See item number one above.
10. Sleep when tired
Nothing more to it.
I used to feel guilty about going to bed early or the fact that I require around 9 hours of sleep a night. Not anymore. It’s all part of accepting and understanding yourself and then applying that knowledge to make for good self care.
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