There are things that we do, repeatedly over the course of a day, that help us to create a rhythm and flow. That bring a sense of order and organisation to the way we move through tasks and prevent a descent into disarray.
For me, this sense of flow begins with the little things. Laying out my clothes for the next day, setting the heater to come on in the morning, having my phone charged and on airplane mode by a certain time each night. These are the little things that propel me into the next day with the same on-track momentum as the last.
I don’t leave it to the future me, tucked up in bed with sleep in her eyes, to make decisions on when I should get up. I’ve learned the hard way, from many years of rushing for the school bell, that that extra 10 minutes is always compromising the whole morning, and potentially deteriorating the quality of my day ahead.
When we repeat supportive actions, we create a bedrock or foundation to our lives. One that encourages us to move through our day with a quality of calm alertness and in connection with ourselves and others.
Each of these actions, or pauses that we bring to our life, encourages us to check back in with how we are feeling. These rituals, are not to be confused with setting yourself on autopilot and coasting through the day with little memory of how you completed your tasks.
No, at the core of bringing a sense of ceremony and flow to your day, is that your actions are done with the mind and body connected to the task at hand. Yoga in everyday motion. It may be as simple as preparing a pot of tea. Taking the time to select cups, pour the tea, feel the warmth of the cup, engage in conversation. Not checking-out, not placing your mind elsewhere.
Repeating movements in this quality of connection then starts to become the standard that you move through life. And it becomes easier to spot the habits that don’t support us. You begin to clock reaching for something sweet as tiredness descends mid-afternoon. You clock the after effects of your bedtime shifting like the sands of the Kalahari Desert. You clock the irritability and frustration that builds toward the end of the working week if you have spread yourself too thin.
The key, is to observe your movements throughout your day and feel into whether they support you or don’t support you. Constantly discarding, shifting, practicing. Not to reach a state of perfection, but to encourage a connection and flow in your day and in your body.
