A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 15 – Think Tranquility

In Day 15 of Fiona Ferris’s book, 30 Chic Days, the title is “Cultivate Serenity and Calmness in Your Life.”  Fiona writes that she enjoys a tranquil, low-key experience. Chaos and crisis is the exact opposite of how she defines a “chic” life. The salient point that Fiona makes in this chapter is that she intentionally chooses a calm existence. There are many areas in our day that can be altered to support a sense of tranquility.

I find that how my day begins tends to set the tone for how I experience the rest of the day.  To ensure that my mornings are as easy and relaxed as possible, I try to strictly limit any early morning decision-making or rushing around.  I lay out my clothes the night before, the kitchen is clean and tidy, the coffee is ready to go, any supplies that I need are set by the door. My children are part of the act: school backpacks are loaded and propped by the door. (Admittedly, this can sometimes be a challenging task.) 

One small change that made a big difference in the flow of my early mornings: I roll out of bed when the alarm goes off. No snooze button. I used to habitually hit the snooze button several times and then rush around like a crazy person trying to make up lost time. I found that approach made my mornings feel too stressful and chaotic.  Now, my mornings (most of the time) feel calm and peaceful. I carry that feeling with me into the rest of day.

What small tweaks have you found that upgrade your sense of calm and tranquility?