Therapist: What is it about camping that recharges you?

Me: I love the early morning. I get up before the campground wakes up. I make my first cup of coffee, and then sit in my camp chair reading. I listen to squirrels scampering around and making clicking sounds. I listen to the birds singing, announcing the sun rise. I take deep breaths and soak it all in. I listen as the campground starts to wake up. Others rustle themselves out of their tents. For me, this is my morning recharge.

Therapist: How can you do this at home? You can remove the artificial barriers that you are setting.

This is where it occurred to me. I had hoped that my living room would be my sanctuary, but it just has not turned out that way. Then it occurred to me. I have a lovely front porch. I can sit in my rocking desk chair with my second cup of coffee. I can listen to the animals in my neighbourhood chirping. Today it seems I will also be hearing airplanes fly over as they take off and land at the nearby airport. I can hear the wind chimes on my porch. I can have my morning peace to help focus my day.

I now have a new morning routine. A time where I sit for about 15 minutes – I don’t really watch the clock, I just sit and enjoy my coffee. I listen to the world going by. I colour in the pretty patterns from my various adult colouring books. It is meditative. It is peaceful. It helps me clear my mind. It helps me process whatever feelings I need to process that day. It is my morning time out.

Feature Image Credit: Rebecca J Hogue.