Do you know how to slow down and have quiet moments?

I had one of those quiet moments this week and it was refreshing! A cup of coffee, the morning sun peaking through our balcony doors and still, quiet home. Ah yes! I missed this, I thought. It’s been a while since I had one of those quiet mornings. Between getting the kids ready for school and hurrying to get things done, it can be quite a frenzy. I caught that quiet morning! Yes, the trick is to catch it! It can slip away swiftly, it barely shouts to get your attention but rather whispers “I’m here”.

Why are slow and quiet mornings easy to miss?

So why are slow and quiet mornings so easy to miss? There are a couple of reasons. Let me tell you how my mornings go. Our house is awake by 6:30am. I freshen up and spend ten minutes in the bathroom before I go off and greet the kids good morning. I head to the kitchen and spend the next 20 minutes preparing my children’s lunch and snacks for school. While I am busy in the kitchen, the kids are getting dressed and eating breakfast. I pack their lunches and do my daughter’s hair. If we have more time, I spend time hugging the kids. Then I take them to the bus stop and they’re off. I have a quick breakfast and see my hubby off to work before I get ready to go to the office if I have an early day. Sometimes I go back and sleep for another hour if time permits before I rush to the office. Can you see how busy things can get? How easy it is to miss quiet mornings?

Why you should take time to slow down and have quiet mornings.

The chaos of daily life, the noise from social media and the constant rush can impact you in a negative way. We feed our bodies, exercise, and rest but do we feed our soul? Do we calm our mind and just think of nothing? We can call it many different terms.. mental cleansing, and meditation. Sara Lazar, a researcher at Harvard University in an article for The Huffington Post said that “studies show that meditation changes brain physiology to slow aging” People who meditate apparently have more brain cells and grey matter! Slowing down induces relaxation and boosts cardiovascular health and immunity. It lowers blood sugar, blood pressure and encourages self- awareness.

How to slow down and enjoy quiet mornings.

So that morning when I managed to catch the moment.. I was in the middle of a photo styling session. (if you want to see the photo click here) I was creating a photo composition for a client when I stopped and saw how beautiful that cup of coffee was and how quiet the entire house had been! I took a break from work, enjoyed my coffee and the subtle winter weather. I took time to enjoy the silence. Took time to savor the coffee and thought of nothing but that moment. It made me so happy, I felt so relaxed, I fed my soul! It doesn’t have to be a full-blown meditation session. It can just be seizing little pockets of silence, reading a book, and enjoying the moment. For those that prefer meditation, here is how it’s done. My yoga teacher told me that meditation is simply counting your breath so your mind thinks of nothing but engages in the discipline and purity of the moment. “Your mind will drift away, but you bring it back” , said my teacher. I’ve been trying it and it does cleanse my cluttered mind! There are also guided meditation apps online and I’ve even begun to play Bible meditation for my kids to put them to sleep.

Alternatives Options To Meditation

Some people take some time to adjust to having calm, slow mornings. While learning to meditate, there are a few other things you can do to take in some calm. Take a moment to read something uplifting, it can be an article online, or you might have a book of affirmations.

Writing your intentions for the day or week can help you focus your mind and bring peace and calm. The act of journaling can bring peace to many – there are so many ways to decorate and express yourself within a journal; it can be therapeutic and relaxing. Perhaps you have a clear view on a specific topic, and want to submit your work? More info here about one place you can submit your work.

Listening to some calming music for a few minutes while you sip your freshly brewed coffee. Or you can set a short-timer and spend ten minutes colouring each morning.

Did you know that even cleaning can be classed as meditative because most often you can switch off and simply do the task?

Finding calm can be simple, once you know what brings you peace.

Have you tried meditation? How do you catch slow moments and how does it help you?