Bring zen to your day in the simplest way.

All too often we rush through our activities to get to the next task. “Busy” is our new buzzword.

On a small scale we are rushing through our daily chores and commitments to get to our all-important leisure time. On a larger scale we are rushing through our working weeks to get to the holidays, or rushing through our career to our retirement years.

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.”  Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment.

How can we press “pause” on the madness and really become present in our everyday lives? Picking a daily repetitive task to focus on mindfully may seem simplistic but it can really create some “breathing space” for us during a busy day at the office.

The ritual of making a cup of coffee is a calming and soothing one. Is there anything else you do 3-4 times a day with such regularity? No, checking your Twitter feed doesn’t count. Humans love rituals and repetitive actions, they make us feel safe and comforted. No matter where you are there is always somewhere to get a cup of coffee, so read on to see how this can bring you some much-needed peace.

Don’t rush the coffee-making just to get to the drinking part. Enjoy each step of the process, see it as a mindfulness exercise.

• Selecting the cup: whether it’s as simple as taking a paper cup from a stack or lifting a china mug from a shelf, take a second to consciously engage with your actions. Feel the texture of the cup in your hand, notice the weight of it.

• Select your coffee, maybe you have a choice of strengths, or you press the button to start the filtration process. Whatever method you choose, appreciate the process that is taking place. Observe how the machinery is working to create that perfect beverage just for you. Breathe deeply as you wait, taking a second to relax your shoulders.

• Fill the cup, watch the steam rise into the air and dissipate. Hear the sound of the coffee machine and the coffee hitting your cup. Smell the aroma of the roasted coffee beans, the scent hitting your brain. Those molecules are stimulating your nervous system before you even taste the coffee.
• Enjoy the sight of the crema on the surface, all those tiny bubbles floating on the dark smoky liquid. See the swirl as the milk goes in, lightening the drink and notice how you instinctively know how much to add.

• If you are planning to sit and enjoy your coffee choose a pleasing environment for yourself. A window seat can give you some diversion, or a quiet corner will cocoon you if that is what you need. If you are drinking on the go ensure you are mindful to the fact that you are drinking, don’t just do it automatically.

• The first sip as the coffee hits your tongue is always enjoyable. Try to extend that consciousness to every mouthful as you enjoy your drink to the end.

• Feel the weight and the heat of the mug as you lift it to your lips. Revel in the sensuous nature of the drinking act. The warm liquid on your tongue, the heat spreading down through your body. That tiny droplet on your lip, how wet it feels…

Even if all your coffee drinking happens in your office environment, making it a conscious exercise can become a lovely way to check in with yourself. Notice your breathing, if it’s shallow let it deepen, if you are holding tension somewhere in your body, relax it. Take a second to stretch.

Give yourself permission to “check out” of work mode for a couple of minutes each time to “fill your own cup” literally and metaphorically.

You can apply this technique to any repetitive task you do, whether it is a simple one like locking the door, or more complex like taking a shower. Bringing a little mindfulness into your day will reconnect you to your body and take you out of your busy head. You will gain a fresher perspective on things. It also lowers your stress levels, and can be a way to control any anxious spiralling thoughts.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” or so Lennon famously quoted. Let’s not let it pass us by.