What Helps You Feel "Centered"?

[Emma27]

Oh another thing I love to do.. make a to do list and tick each item of as I do it! It makes my life feel 'neat'!
I forgot about wearing matching lingere. Havent done that for awhile, I wish someone would make nursing wear more attractive!

[Zee]

* A clean house here, I can finally relax if everything is spotless!!

[Bathsheba]

With clean houses: Sometimes the trick is to get "centered" despite a messy house so that you can muster the motivation and energy to actually clean it! LOL I think this is what I'd like help with.... my house hasn't been spotless since having kids, about 13years. Some days i feel centered enough to make inroads, other days i don't and there are more "don't" days than do! Maybe there is a cleaning inspiration thread?

[jaspen]

i find the domestic goddess thread - what did you achieve today (or something like that) pretty inspirational Bath (unfortunately haven't visited there lately) cause I keep a list (that others can see) and try to knock things off it and can follow my success - a paper list doesn't work as well for me for some reason

[suse]

Bumping this - I'm in some need of some centering and would love to hear what others do.

[Nelle]

Breathing! Like, going and sitting somewhere and taking some deep breaths to clear my mind.
For me as well, being a Christian, it's the time where I say hi to God and ask for...well usually discipline and patience. And then I move on, knowing what I'm trying to achieve.
That covers emotionally and spiritually I guess.

Physically, being outside. It only needs to be wandering out in the yard with Riv, or going to the park. That really makes me feel alive.

Ideally, if I have time, I'll go walk and sit somewhere with my bible while Riv plays (throwing the good book aside and sprinting when I see him head for the road :P).
Most days it's walking out to the front step and taking a few deep breaths and stretching while saying 'hi God'. And letting Riv play in the front yard when we've just got home from somewhere.

Would love to hear other people's loooong centering time, and also how others grab some time to ground themselves when they're busy. Especially when you get to that point in your day where you feel like you're about to crack.

[fionas]

Yes tidy house does it for me. OK, tidy room. OK, one made bed if I'm going to be realistic!

And a clean sink. I have just discovered how good this makes me feel and now clean it virtually every day.

DP and I have been dealing with some longstanding issues (renos, financial stuff, his XW and DSD, me being in chronic pain) and it has felt for an awfully long time that we have not been making headway and every day is like the last. So what worked for me was telling myself each night that I may not have got many/anything done on my list but I had done THE most important thing which is looking after DD and making sure she's happy.

This week I've been waking up at 4am every morning and not being able to go back to sleep because there's been too much going on in my head. I can't normally nap during the day either but told myself today that I had to and went to bed saying this mantra (and I'm SO not a mantra person) ... "the world is calm. There is no problem that you have to solve in the next hour so go to sleep." Worked like a charm!

[Bathsheba]

... not sure if I've mentioned this before but for several months now i've been having acupuncture. Combined with a massage afterwards the session last for nearly an hour. I have it done on a Saturday morning. This is really helping me to feel more centred!