Recharge, re-energize and renewal for September

September always feels like a second new year and is the perfect time to reassess where you are, where you want to be and how much you’ve accomplished so far this year. The theme for September is “recharge”. It’s the perfect time to recharge your internal batteries and re-energize yourself for the upcoming fall season. When I was in elementary school I used to love going back to school and all the excitement of finding out who my teacher would be and connecting with the other kids that I didn’t see over the summer. But, the best part of going back to school was getting new clothes and all the school supplies! All this excitement lasted for the first week and then the reality of having to study and do homework set in. I found school to be challenging on many levels but I got through it and like most kids made the best of it at the time.

I would have benefited tremendously from learning about mindfulness as a child and the closest I got to that was haiku. When I was in grade five I had a language arts assignment which was when I first learned about haiku poetry, little did I know at that time that it would become significant and important for me. Much later in life was when I learned that haiku is about being in the moment and I began to have a deeper appreciation for it and a clearer understanding while reading other haiku poems. I’ve learned a lot from haiku and following the basic philosophy of living in the moment. It has helped me to take time for self care and recharging my internal batteries when I’m feeling overwhelmed, scattered and stressed out.

So, how do you recharge and energize yourself so you can focus on your goals and achieve success? Savouring the small moments in life such as taking as little as 5 minutes a day to get quiet and breath or reading a short haiku poem and can help. Unplugging from technology is also important to get focused and less distracted from doing daily tasks. When you take the time and care to recharge yourself you are able to best serve not only yourself but others. We are all human batteries. Every interaction you have either re-energizes you or sucks some of your energy away. Taking the time to reflect is an important part of self-care and nurturing yourself. If you’re unable to take some time out for yourself, then start to think about what is going on in your life that is distracting you from being fully present. Make solitude your best friend as it is good for the soul.

Here are 4 great tips that will help you to recharge your energy and be present:

1) Take a breather every couple of hours during work: Take mini breaks and get up and walk around. Look outside and even better, go outside and go for a short walk. This will give your mind a little rest, allow it to reset, and repair itself for its next couple hours of work.

2) Unplug: Turn off any digital devices and embrace the quietness of doing nothing. It may feel uncomfortable but you will start to become more aware of your surroundings and connect with yourself instead of technology.

3) Start your day with a smile: Embrace your day with a positive attitude and smile. Happiness is the most sought after emotion and smiling helps to bring more joy to you. Smile (even if you don’t feel like it) and see what happens!

4) Get outdoors by yourself: Go for a walk, get out in nature and notice what is around. When you’re alone you’re more likely to notice things and not be distracted by conversations. Yes, this does mean that you can’t take your phone!

Haiku poetry is based on being present and being in the moment. When you take the time to connect with life on a deeper level you are living in a haiku way. It’s having a heightened awareness of the world around us for a brief moment in time. A reflection of life that comes in the form of 3 short lines.

If you want to learn more about haiku and slowing down you can take the “Haiku Just for You” online Course shows you the joy in writing and creating haiku poetry. This course introduces you to haiku, some of the most famous early poets, and provides an easy to follow series of five lessons, companion workbooks, stunning graphic templates, a collection of evocative one-liners you can mix and match and a nicely illustrated journal in PDF.