Daily Presence Practice

Life is busy, and people are tired; some are even spent. How we choose to start our day and how we end our day does make a difference. Here are some suggestions you can use to help your day go better and end much more smoothly.

• Morning centering: Begin each day with at least 5 minutes of quiet reflection, prayer, or meditation. You can even do this while you're getting dressed and ready for work.

• Mindful transitions: Between errands, job activities, or taking the kids to school or daycare, pause to take three long conscious breaths to reset and keep yourself grounded. Great for the nervous system.

• Evening reflection: Journal about one conversation or a positive thing during your day where you were fully present in the moment--one where you weren't pulled in every direction, and one where you were. What made the difference?

• During or after dinner, take a few minutes to engage with someone face-to-face without media, phone calls, texting, or work interruption. Fully communicate and talk about something important or meaningful to you. Let the distractions go.

• Unplug from the TV, the internet, and cell phones at a designated time each night. Go to bed at the same time each night, and set your alarm for the same time each morning.

• If you still need to unwind and de-stress after work, go for a walk, take a hot lavender bath, or spend time with a spouse, a friend, God, or a loved one.

• We all have 24 hours in a day, but it's how we choose to utilize those hours that makes all the difference.