One of my weaknesses or rather, one of my 'elements of being me' (as I grandly refer to them!) is my love of dark chocolate digestives. After a frustrating day at work when I feel I've accomplished little or had a tiring time at the allotment when nothing seem to be growing or flowering there's nothing better than sitting down, snuggling under a blanket with a cuppa and a digestive coated with smooth, dark chocolate.

Some things just need a quiet and comtemplative approach and so it is with drinking tea and eating certain biscuits!

I try to bring mindfulness into the actions of drinking tea and chomping biscuits because enjoying these small pleasures can be so restorative after a long unsatisfying day. When the kids clamour for attention and squabble over the tv remote, I try to schedule in little pockets of five minutes just for me as I know I'll deal with their disagreements so much more effectively when I've taken a few moments for myself. I used to think it was selfish not to want to be with my kids all the time but I'm beginning to realise it's selfish not to take time as it makes me a much calmer, tolerant and happier person to be around.

Back to the biscuit. The crunch, the smoothly melting, sticky chocolate, the crumbs on your tongue all little things to savour. The slightly too hot, dark, subtly-frangranced tea slipping down your throat and the warmth of the comfy blanket. Just the thought of those things as I sit here typing makes me calm and content and not a digestive in the house!

Eleanor

A Moodscope Member.