I remember reading once that the reason that we love to travel so much is because we are present.
I think about this often, because I agree that is a huge part of why we fall in love with being somewhere new. We are more prone to wandering, to spontaneity, to putting our phone down and taking directionless walks, to talking to everyone we encounter in the grocery store, and on trains.
When we are home it’s hard to relax without the millions of things on our to-do list creeping into our thoughts, it’s almost like you feel bad about operating under your peak productivity.
So how can we foster more presence while our travel is limited? Here’s a few things that I’ve found bring me back to the current moment quick, and they can be done on your work break:
- Taking a walk around the neighborhood as a break during your week day
- Dedicate time to meditation & journaling in the mornings
- A hard workout (it’s hard to think of much else while you’re doing burpees)
- Creating art (painting, drawing, digital creation)
- Reading a book you love
- Surfing (always an immediate connection to nature with an elimination of real time)
At the beginning of working from home, I found it so hard to take breaks! While you’re used to taking a million breaks a day in the office to grab coffee with a coworker, catch up over lunch, or visit your favorite office pup, I’ve found that it’s common to feel guilty for taking breaks at home. But the truth is: the more breaks you can take, and the more present you are during those breaks, the more productive you will be once you return.
Salty Bluey 