Good morning and happy Monday!

This is a time of year when we often find ourselves aiming, or perhaps hoping, to shift down a gear or two. The warm weather can sap our energy, school’s nearly “out” for the academic year, and the promise of even just a little break beckons. Ultimately, it might be nice to slow down a bit.

Yet many of us may not have the luxury to press pause on regular life right now and are continuing along the daily routine until such a time when we too will decide if the airports and train stations are worth braving. So, the onus is on us to find and create some downtime in our regular daily routine.

Breathe...

Meditation
It’s been a little while since I’ve brought this gem out for a mention, but it’s definitely worth rehashing. Meditation remains one of the best ways to calm the mind (and body), and with a little practice (it is a practice) it can become a useful tool to have in your daily arsenal of healthy habits.

Calm and Headspace remain two of the most popular apps that help guide you through the process or, for you analogue folk out there, you may prefer the method I use which involves counting breaths to 10.

Sitting comfortably, eyes closed, count “one” in your mind as you breathe in, “two” as you breathe out, and continue to 10. When the inevitable happens and you notice your mind has wandered off, start at “one” and begin again. This isn’t as easy as it sounds at the beginning, and each time you bring yourself back to “one” remember that this is the practice.

One...

New music
To help myself ease into a more relaxed mindset, I’ve been exploring the catalogue of the Oscar Peterson Trio – some old-school jazz. RY X also has a new album out, Blood Moon, and it’s beautiful.

Two...

Less news, more books please
If, like me, you’ve been overindulging in global news and finding it a tad overwhelming, may I make a suggestion? Try reducing your news intake, perhaps to once a day. It’s all too easy to leave yourself wide open to a constant stream of news via websites and social media, which can begin to wear you down.

Instead, how about picking up that book that you’ve been meaning to start and keeping it on hand for when you would normally doom scroll? Just a thought.

I’m nearing the end of Hernan Diaz’s In the Distance (it’s excellent), and have just ordered Amor Towles’ most recent, The Lincoln Highway, in the hope that it’s at least half as good as his previous triumph, A Gentleman in Moscow.

Three...
Have a wonderful week!

Big love,
Luke