Penguin jumping into water
If you start running the moment your alarm clock rings, charging into go-go-go mode as you hustle to work, you may want to adopt a more leisurely start to your day.
The slow movement, of course, has gained some attention in recent years. And on the zenhabits blog, Dave Ursillo, an alternative leadership speaker, writes that he has learned the pace and quality of his days are largely dictated by how he starts in the morning.
His first instinct is to dive into the day. But instead, he combats that urge, going for a run; practising yoga, tai chi or qigong; or reading a chapter or two of a book. It can be agonizing some mornings not to just jump into the work that beckons, but he prefers embracing some moments of inner peace, patience and contentment that carries through to the day, evoking an attitude of calm, relaxation and balance.
He suggests you try it, writing a list of five activities, hobbies or practices by which you might edge into the day, and trying each one morning next week, to see how it works out. If necessary, go to bed earlier. And be patient and slow as you try these new morning rituals.
Harvey Schachter