15-minute practice

Wake Up to You

My favourite daily well-being practice is, in my opinion, a must-have in the toolkit of anyone with a family living at home. 

Imagine if you could find more joy, calm and connection in your busy family life with a practice that takes just 15 minutes. Even the busiest of you, I’m sure, will agree that 15 minutes a day is manageable if it helps you to be more present with, and connected to your children (of any age), your partner, and anyone else you live with and/or support on a regular basis. I invite you to embrace the Magic Fifteen Minutes practice.

The Practice:

Start your day with fifteen magical minutes of ‘you’ time. Get up fifteen minutes before you have to get anyone else up, before you have to start getting anyone or anything ready for the day. Give yourself fifteen mindful minutes to gently greet the day, to sit with yourself, and to notice where you’re at, before the rush of the day kicks in.

Now, this time is not to check emails, or scroll through social media. In fact, this morning ritual should come with a strict ‘no screens’ rule. This is time to just be. Maybe you simply sit quietly, or meditate, or pay attention to your breath or body. Maybe you choose one restorative yoga stretch to enjoy, so that even if you don’t move your body mindfully again that day, you’ve managed that one blissful stretch. Maybe you sit with a cup of tea or coffee and savour the experience of just enjoying it with all your senses.

How you wake up sets the tone for the day and, when you’re at the centre of busy family life, how you feel when everyone else gets up, sets the tone for their day, too. Making the transition from sleep to wakefulness one of connection invites more of that energy into the day. By giving yourself that little bit of self-care before facing the day, you’ll be filling up your reserves so that you can better support those around you, and cope with what life throws your way.

Maybe you manage fifteen minutes daily, or for you it’s just once a week. Maybe you manage the full fifteen minutes, or, like me most days, you only manage a few before your little person senses you’re up and wants to join you. Every bit makes a difference.