Reclaiming Daily Paradise

I think I’m having some holiday withdrawals. No, scrap that. I know that I am.

It’s Monday morning and although I arrived home yesterday, giving myself more than enough time to get back into everyday life, after a wonderful long weekend away, I woke up this morning with a feeling like something is missing. So I laid in bed for a while in silent contemplation as I gazed out my bedroom window, absorbing my surroundings and searching for what I felt was missing. It’s now hours later (I do wake up early) and I’m well into my morning, but I’m still sitting with an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach; And trying to pinpoint what it is, is proving to be elusive and a little annoying. When I let my mind just wander and do it’s thing, I can see myself laughing on a road trip and I can feel the energy of those around me. It’s intoxicating and exhilarating and I know that it’s not just one road trip that I’m channeling. I also know that it’s not the road trip itself. It’s the feelings that come with it: The joy and peace wrapped into one. Which leads me to question how I can insert that emotion into my life, right now.

And I guess that’s the thing about the enjoyment of holidays. It’s not just about getting away, but rather about the feelings associated with it. The letting go, the welcoming of new experiences and general joy and delight. So is it truly about getting away from daily life, or is it about how you can bring a little bit of that holiday feeling, into your everyday life?

So today, I’m going to do a reassessment of my surroundings and my daily routine. (In case you’re wondering, I do this fairly often, as what we want and find joy in, as humans, tend to change quite a bit.) Today, I’m looking into the things that are making me uncomfortable and how I can change or adjust them, so that they’re less uncomfortable or removed altogether, and what were the elements that made me so relaxed, happy and grateful, on my short break. Let’s go through this list together, so that you can reassess your situation too:

Daily Routine

• Is your schedule rushed or too jam packed? Is there anything that can be moved or removed?

• Can you add in micro-moments of joy, like journaling breaks, slow breakfasts, coffee/tea breaks (where you actually sip it slowly whilst it’s hot), or morning/evening walks?

• How do your priorities look? Are they habitual or do they bring joy? How can you adjust them?

Physical Surroundings

• Your immediate surroundings can amplify your mood, so are there smells, colours, textures, or lighting that you can add, adjust or remove, to bring you more peace and joy? Maybe mirrors to add or move, to reflect light? Or a cosy corner filled with cushions as a space to chill?

Energy & Wellness

• Consider what makes you feel drained and what makes you feel rested and restored? Is it an activity or is it a person / people? Can anything be changed or adjusted?

• Are there changes to your sleep cycle, routine or sleeping environment? Are there particular differences that happen when you’re on holiday compared to when you’re at home, that you could incorporate into your every day (or a few times a week, depending on what it is)?

• Is there reflective time that you need to add into your routine? Maybe time for stillness, however brief?

Relationships

• Are there people that you’re with or you prefer to be with, when you’re relaxed and happy? Is there anyone that you find yourself having a good belly laugh with? Can you spend more time with them?

• On the flip side, is there anyone or any places, that make you feel drained? Or perhaps people/places that you can only handle in short doses before it becomes too much? Can you remove or reduce these interactions? Are there additional boundaries that you need to put into place to protect your sanity and peace?

Creativity & Exploration

• Is it new sights, sounds, flavours and experiences that you find joy in when you’re away? If so, can you continue that with books, playlists, classes, or activities? Maybe incorporate spontaneous adventures, however small?

• Can you add in unstructured free time? (You don’t need to schedule in everything.)

Emotional & Mental Landscape

• How is your inner dialogue? Could it do with some adjustments? Are you gentle on yourself? Curious? Open to new experiences? Grateful for everything you do have, can do and do do?

• Is there anything else that you crave that isn’t on your to-do list?

Place & Identity

• When you’re away, do you feel more like yourself? Is there anything that you could integrate into your everyday life?

• Reflect on what makes you really happy, relaxed and at peace; What does that reveal about who you are and what you need more of in your life?

Without going into too much detail for the answers to each of these questions for myself, I already know what little adjustments that I need to make in my everyday life. Chances are, you have too. But before you’re too hard on yourself for having to make changes, again, just know that we, as humans, evolve and change continually, so it’s only fair that we continue to re-evaluate where we are and what makes us happy and feel at peace. What worked for you 5 years, 5 months, 5 weeks ago, or even 5 days ago, may not work for you now, and that’s perfectly normal. Just relax and sit back from time to time, and take a moment to  listen to what your body is trying to tell you… because when we listen, we hear and feel the little hints that our body give us, before our brains have the chance to catch on.

Are you okay with where you are now, or does something need to change? Even if it's only just a little bit.