Couch to Consciousness
Couch to Consciousness is a short challenge designed to promote holistic well-being, through the building up of a few simple habits.
Over 4 weeks, C2C introduces 6 simple habits into your life, to form the foundation of a happier, healthier way of living, better for you and better for our world. The habits are in 6 areas: self-care, gratitude, kindness, mindfulness, self-awareness and creativity.
Each day, for 30 days, you'll be given a set of simple tasks. You can access the challenge as a document here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17gPlaIiHRCO4vK2hlSPscumPI-U0qjIjWkG-W4tTuEM/edit?usp=sharing
The Couch to Consciousness Challenge:
Day 1:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
It's a small, simple task of self-care that everyone can do. It may seem insignificant, but it's a great way to show love to our bodies, for we all wake up slightly dehydrated after a nights sleep. There is a saying, "win the morning, win the day" and having a glass of water is a great way to win the morning, refreshing ourselves from the beginning, so we can start the day re-energised.
If you want to help yourself establish drinking a glass of water in the morning as a new habit, fill a glass of water the night before and place it near your bed, ready for the morning.
Day 2:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Day 3:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Day 4:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
This is a simple task, but incredibly powerful, helping to strengthen our gratitude muscles. It only takes a minute, and it has been shown to make you happier when built into a habit. The things might be big things, like your health, safety, shelter, your friends and family, income, food and water, etc., or small things, like last night's sunset, a good night's sleep, a tasty meal or a nice cup of tea. Whatever they are, by writing something each morning, we gradually become more aware of all the many gifts in our lives.
If you want to help yourself to establish writing something you are grateful for as a new habit, take a pen and paper the night before and place them near your bed, ready for the morning.
Day 5:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Day 6:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Day 7:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
This task invites us to take a small action designed to offer kindness towards the outside world. It could range from something small, like tipping overly-generously, giving a gift to a stranger, or paying one forward at a cafe, to something much bigger, like starting a crowdfunding campaign for a cause close to your heart or treating someone to a meal for no apparent reason. It's a great way to cultivate compassion and loving-kindness, and is also a fun way of making the world just that little bit brighter!
You can come up with your own ideas for random acts of kindness, but if you want help with inspiration, check out:
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas
Day 8:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Day 9:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Day 10:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that "Life is available only in the present moment". While thinking is an amazing ability, so often we can get lost in our thinking, trapped by our ruminations on the past or fears about the future, which means we end up missing out on life and suffering as a result. Mindful breathing is a simple activity that can help us to develop our concentration and attention. It's the simplest activity possible, everyone can do it, but that doesn't mean it's easy!
To practice mindful breathing, stop whatever you are doing and sit or stand comfortably (with your back reasonably upright), in a quiet place free from distractions. Turn your phone off or onto silent, and set an alarm or meditation timer for 1 min. You may find it helpful to close your eyes for this practice.
Start the timer and then take a deep breath in, bringing all your attention to your in-breath and out-breath.
After your first breath, do not try to control or deepen your breathing. This is an exercise in paying attention to your breathing, however it is, accepting it just as it is and not trying to change it. So whether your breathing is shallow or deep, fast or slow, try not to interfere with it. Just observe it, noticing how it is, how it feels. Notice the sensations of the in-breath, the pause, and the out-breath. You may find yourself paying attention to the feel of the air coming in or out through your nose, or the rise and fall of your chest and stomach. It doesn't matter where your focus your attention, just keep concentrating on the physical sensations of each breath.
As you do this, you may find yourself becoming distracted by thoughts. Each time you notice you have become distracted and your mind has wandered into thinking (which it will do, as this is what our minds do!), gently, without blaming or judging yourself, return your attention back to your breathing. Each time you become distracted, let go of your thoughts and gently return to your breathing, resolving not to miss awareness of another breath.
Day 11:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Day 12:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Day 13:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Day 14:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Reflective journaling is a great practice for developing our self awareness and understanding, helping us to learn more about ourselves and to make better sense of our lives as they unfold over the years. Even just taking a minute out of your day to stop, stand back from the busyness and to write down what's going on for you, can really help to bring clarity in the midst of chaos of everyday life. And if you are struggling for inspiration or knowing how to start, you might want to ask yourself when you felt most alive today (i.e. most present, most able to give and receive love, most courageous, most fully you) and what it was about that situation that enabled that to happen.
About journaling, the poet and writer John O'Donohue advises, "Buy yourself a really beautiful notebook and give it a title that excites you, such as "Severe Views in the Hard Mirror", or "The Diary of my Most Dangerous Thoughts", and keep it for your unusual thoughts", keeping it private and letting it slowly build and deepen, so that it can become a place where you truly dialogue with yourself, discovering truths about yourself you never knew.
Day 15:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Day 16:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Day 17:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Day 18:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down one thing you are grateful for.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Creativity is a part of what it means to be a human being, but for many of us our creativity has been discouraged as we have grown up. As the artist Pablo Picasso put it, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Reading poetry is a great way to feed the creative part of ourselves, that is there in all of us, calling us to look at life, and at ourselves, from different perspectives, nourishing our souls, inspiring, challenging, encouraging, enraging, consoling. And you never know, after reading a few poems, you may just be inspired to pick up your own pen or paintbrush!
To make this task easier, we will provide a suggested poem for each day (but feel free to choose your own). You might want to read the poem through slowly (possibly out loud), two or three times, to really let it sink into you, paying attention to how it speaks or does not speak to you, what it provokes or unearths in you and what it leaves untouched.
Suggested poem: The Good News by Thich Nhat Hanh
https://www.themindfulword.org/2007/poetry-good-news-hanh
Day 19:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down 3 things you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take a minute to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Day 20:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Write down 3 things you are grateful for.
Take 3 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Suggested poem: In Blackwater Woods by Mary Oliver
https://wordsfortheyear.com/2014/03/28/in-blackwater-woods-by-mary-oliver/
Day 21:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 3 things you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take 2 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Day 22:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 3 things you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take 2 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Suggested poem: Kindness by Naomi Shahib Nye
https://poets.org/poem/kindness
Day 23:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 3 things you are grateful for.
Take 2 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Suggested poem: The Sun Never Says by David Ladinsky
https://livingthepresentmoment.com/david-ladinsky-sun-never-says
Day 24:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 3 things you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take 2 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Suggested poem: The Bright Field by R.S. Thomas
https://emilyspoetryblog.com/2013/10/23/the-bright-field-by-r-s-thomas/
Day 25:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 4 things you are grateful for.
Take 3 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Suggested poem: The Guest House by Rumi
https://mrsmindfulness.com/guest-house-poem/
Day 26:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 4 things you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take 3 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Suggested poem: Hokusai Says by Roger Keyes
https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/poem-hokusai-says-by-roger-keys/
Day 27:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 4 things you are grateful for.
Take 3 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Suggested poem: A Brief for the Defense by Jack Gilbert
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-brief-for-the-defense/
Day 28:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 5 things you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take 3 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem (or look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music).
Suggested poem: Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
https://poets.org/poem/still-i-rise
Day 29:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 5 things you are grateful for.
Take 3 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem, look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music.
Suggested poem: Manifesto by Wendell Berry
https://www.context.org/iclib/ic30/berry/
Day 30:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror.
Write down 5 things you are grateful for.
Do a simple act of kindness.
Take 3 minutes to stop and pay attention to your breath.
Take a few minutes to write down when you felt most alive today and why?
Take a minute to read a poem, look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music.
Suggested poem: Fully Alive by Dawna Markova
https://billjohnsononline.com/fully-alive-by-dawna-markova/
Photo by Kamaji Ogino from Pexels