The best thing I found in February 😍 🙌 ✨

Hi ,

Thanks so much for clicking on this email. 💖

Hasn’t February absolutely flown by! I don’t know about you but I am not ready for March but here we are.

What I have loved about February is starting tennis lessons. 🎾😍

I am an incredibly uncoordinated individual who avoids team and group sports. However, going every Thursday night, even on 40+ degree days has been the best. It just goes to show that if we can find something we LOVE to do, it can take the effort, discomfort and barriers out.

So was that my biggest flex for February?

NOPE, not even close. 😎🔥

It’s actually a little practise called Balcony Time.

Let me explain.

I was listening to a fabulous PD by Dr Gemma Munro (you can check out her Insta here) and she mentioned this concept.

She described it as when you are at a party or wedding and everyone is on the dance floor having a good time. You join in the fun and have a dance and it’s awesome but to get a real sense of how the evening is playing out, you need to get off the dance floor, move back (sometimes onto the balcony) to see it all - the dance floor, the people mingling, etc.

That’s Balcony Time. 🤩🌈💫

Often in life, we are so busy doing, that we don’t have a chance to stop and look at our life as a whole. What’s happening? What’s working? Who's doing ok? Who isn’t?

I loved this concept so much that I drew up a template on Notability and started using it every weekday morning. I would sit in bed with my coffee and ipad and ask myself 4 questions;

✨ What’s working?
✨ What’s my focus today?
✨ What’s not working?
✨ What am I concerned about?

Yes, it’s like journaling but to me, journaling is about my feelings. This is about surveying everything in front of me and answering those 4 questions. I am relieved to say that often, there wasn’t anything I was concerned about. Lots of things were working and it helped me to hone in on my focus for the day. 📝

To be able to do this without distraction, I asked Paul not to bring in my phone (which lives in the lounge overnight charging). So after getting Balcony Time, I can sit and read before starting my day. Win-win.

One of the things I keep hearing is the need to slow down which is really hard to do. But like tennis, I found a practise that works for me. I am hoping it might work for you.🤞🌻

Stopping is hard but maybe rather than stopping, we just need to take a few steps back. Over time, this becomes a few more steps back. Perhaps before we know it, we have slowed down or stopped.

I know for me, Balcony Time now means I don’t look at my phone until 45mins plus after waking. It also means I spend less time on my phone in the morning. It means I feel more grounded, more ready for my day. I am less reactive. 😌🍃

So if you are ready to get off the dance floor and see what’s actually going on around you, try a daily, weekly or monthly practise of Balcony Time. I highly recommend it.