This is probably the longest Easter holiday we will ever have. Hopefully for those of you with kids, you will be settling into a slower rhythm. I have certainly noticed a change in my children. In the beginning my oldest was extremely stressed about getting her work done and being on a computer. Now there seems to be more balance as we are all more relaxed. We all enjoyed being in the garden yesterday helping her make a river in a wheelbarrow to see what would happen to the river if it rained. We all got involved and were all part of the learning. For those of you who don't have kids, I hope you are allowing yourself to slow down and enjoy this different pace of life, which we rarely get the opportunity to experience. We usually spend most of our time in Doing mode, rushing and working through our endless list of things to Do. We now have the opportunity to practice just Being.

Children are wonderful teachers when it comes to just being. They are always in the moment, focusing on what they are doing at a given time. They don’t do well when given more than one task at a time and don’t remember at the end of the day if you had an argument in the morning. Their sole purpose is to play and have fun and be in the moment. I think this is our soul purpose. We can learn a lot from them.

With each passing year we seem to be doing more, have longer to-do lists, rushing around every day trying to cram as much in as possible and falling into bed at night exhausted. We have become so focused on doing and achieving our goals, being efficient, accumulating lots of possessions, rushing and focused on time, which in turn leads to impatience, irritability and stress. I don’t believe people are truly happy when they are in Doing mode all the time.

We are Human ‘Beings’ after all. Being is the art of slowing down and being mindful in whatever you are doing. Instead of multi tasking, trying to get as much done as possible, focus and give your full attention to one task at a time so that you do it properly. Even if it is doing the dishes or cleaning or something else mundane, slow yourself down and don't rush. You will end up being more productive and get more done this way. And at the same time you will feel more content and fulfilled.

Make time for relaxation and self renewal. We all need quiet time yet very few of us give ourselves this gift. Your creativity will increase if you allow yourself time to rest and be present in the moment even if it is just sitting down for 10 minutes while you enjoy a cup of tea. Getting back into nature is very important, I feel inspired and creative when in nature. I know at the moment, this may be difficult, but if you go for a walk notice the nature that surrounds you. If you have a garden, just sit outside and listen to the birds and feel the sunshine on your face. My husband and children tidied our front garden and moved a bird bath so we could see it from our window. The birds are loving bathing themselves and we have even had a squirrel visiting since doing this. It is wonderful to watch. We need to start really seeing the beauty that surrounds us. Next time you are out, start noticing the beauty around you and feel gratitude for it.

You should also notice aches, pains and illness ease off the more you start to slow down as stress levels will ease. For the first time in years maybe even ever, I feel totally stress free. I have had some health issues for the past couple years and since moving to the UK. I think my body needs sunshine so the damp, cold weather doesn't always agree with me. I have noticed over the past few weeks that even my body feels better and my symptoms have subsided. I'm not sure if it will last once things return to normal but for this brief moment in time, I am enjoying how good I feel and am grateful for the chance to reset and experience what can be.

Focusing on the good and positive are also good ways to be more present. Seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty, the positive side of any problem. No matter what problem you face, there is always a solution. This is something I struggled with but luckily I have a very good teacher in my husband who has an incredibly positive attitude. This may take some practice but it does get easier the more you practice and wonderful new possibilities will open up. What have you got to lose?

How do you keep yourself Present and balanced?

I would love to hear from you and how your daily rhythm and pace has changed and the changes you are noticing.