I am at home this morning catching up on paperwork, doing some writing and generally having a rather pleasant time. Radio 4 is on in the background like the visit of an old friend who doesn’t the least bit mind that I tune in and out as I see fit sure of his place in my heart.
Whether the activity that you are engaged in is firing your enthusiasm or dragging your soul down its always useful to take a break. When deep in creative flow we head past the break points at speed seemingly intent upon getting all of the good stuff out of ourselves before we forget it, lose impetus or need to succumb to another distraction. In these moments we feel alive and as if there is nothing in the world that can stop us in our tracks. Ideas bound in like an excitable dog and the prospect of bringing even the most unlikely of them to fruition seems wholly plausible. But afterwards, or when there is a deep lull what happens? Frequently we stare at the screen or the page, or maybe out of the window waiting for the next surge to arrive. In these moments we must look to our little rituals, our breaks to rejuvenate and create the conditions which make the arrival of more energy and inspiration more likely.
For most of us a break also involves a drink and that might be a quick spoon of instant coffee into a mug or a tea bag in a cup while the kettle boils at a pace which frustrates. Mindfulness teaches us that to be conscious and aware of every moment is the route to true balance and satisfaction. My own rituals for making tea and coffee do, when time allows, involve luxuriating in the whole process of making the brew. Crazy? Maybe, but I have to tell you that I love it as much as the drink itself.
This morning I am making coffee. I will grind the beans (excellent ones from Monmouth Coffee Company…highly recommended), fill my little stove top Moka, warm the milk and read something while I wait for water to boil up through the ground beans turning itself into a pungent mid morning kick as it does so. It isn’t particularly fast, and I don’t always have the time to do it but when I do it feels as if I am really taking care of myself, treating myself well in such a small but significant way that when I get back to my desk I feel a level of energy and enthusiasm for the next task that comes mostly from feeling that I am important and valuable enough to make a proper cup of coffee.
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