Mindful Doses

Two days removed, I can hardly believe that this weekend symbolized my first solo 30-hour stretch since becoming a mom more than three years ago (Jon took Laurel on a trip to visit his parents). And despite fanciful visions of sitting around indulging in movies, bon bons, and spa treatments, I went into characteristic superfreak mode, working on design and writing projects, tweaking the layout and static content of this site, catching up on my ridiculous email backlog, assembling Laurel’s big girl quilt (more on that in a forthcoming post), and tidying up the house.
Despite this flurry of activity though, I did partake in several small “indulgences” that typically seem impossible to squeeze in, yet in reality take so little time. Things like taking a few extra minutes to properly moisturize from head to toe (I usually only bother with the face), enjoying breakfast or coffee with mindful appreciation (vs. the wolf and swig), opting to run errands by walking instead of driving, and calling and catching up with a girlfriend. I was struck by how little time these acts took, and how much they lifted my spirits. I’m on day #3 of adding little mindful doses to my day and I encourage you all to do the same. Please, please don’t let three years go by before you realize that you do, in fact, deserve an extra 5 minutes to yourself in the bathroom in the morning.

Image credit: Fabiano illustrated postcard Pour être belle (To Be Beautiful)