Dankbarkeit - Achtsamkeit, Wellbeing & Selbstfürsorge

Posted 19. Juli 2023

In achtsamkeit, business coaching, Kultur, mental health

Half-time. Where has the time and the first half of the year gone?

After a winter full of infections, etc… and spending plenty of time advising my customers in their mindfulness practice,

I am in the process of making sure I have my rituals for care, ease and mindfulness back in place.

The last couple of years have been really busy and a striking post from Rachel Cargle caught my eye somewhere in the last year, about ease, the power of living it and the power in practicing it. Being in the middle of the x-th flu, cough, etc… presented a good opportunity to put more of it into practice in 2023.

With the first 6 months having flown by, I want to reflect on what I am grateful for, something I am taking more time for, also by expanding my happiness journal I use regularly (B. Fredrickson & M. Seligman) to a happiness and gratitude journal.

My inspiration for that came from a post by Ana Luz de León, who under the handle Berlinmittmom writes lovely deep articles about what is important to her and those around her. I have found this to be very satisfying.

What are some of the things I am grateful for having experienced in the last 6 months?

Doing my first group in a leadership development process that started before and was put on ice during the pandemic.
Filling and planting in our raised beds for the first time ever. It is so satisfying to see things grow.
Discovering how starting my day in the garden, on the terrace positively eases me into the day.
Focussing my year on care and what that means to me.
Easing back into my yoga and zumba practice.
Freeing up more time by reducing the number of coachees I have in continuous coaching.
Working with new customers & colleagues, meeting new people.
Meditating with more regularity.
Getting to read other books again, after 8 years of reading scientific books and papers for my degree.
Making more time to connect with friends and colleagues. Exercising that social muscle after the pandemic.
Seeing ‚les nymphéas‘ by Monet in Paris again and re-discovering that I can quite happily sit in front of them and completely lose track of time and what is happening around me.
Having a best friend from student days coming to visit again.

…..

The longer I sit here, the longer this list will get.

Looking a it and thinking of the many other things that filled the last six months, it is hard not to feel incredibly lucky and privileged to be able to do these things and have the opportunity to help people.

I hope this finds you well, and if the daily grind is threatening to take over, and the stream of negative news just won’t stop, I hope you can find time for yourself. Maybe start a list of what you are grateful for and let it drive away some of the bigger and smaller annoyances that life can bring.

If you have any questions on the practice of mindfulness, self-care and ease, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.