The ObservatoryRetreat in everyday life
Turn a dull or stressful chore into a small exercise in presence — with warmth instead of self-criticism.
How it works
- From the bookRate
- Choose your everyday meditationWrite
- Set your focusWrite
- Be here while you do itWriteRate
- Write a sentence with warmthWrite
- The routine as an anchorWrite
Recently I went on a two-week retreat. Not the kind you read about in glossy travel magazines — it was a holiday with my children. I often joke that my job is my holiday and that parenting is the real work. At work I am …
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Why does it work?
Reappraising a situation (reframing) is a well-studied strategy for managing emotions, McRae et al. (2012), and everyday mindfulness has shown moderate effects on stress, Kabat-Zinn (2003). The support for specifically turning chores into a "retreat" is weak — it is a practical application, not a tested method.
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