Feel good, French style

This past Sunday, I hung out with a gorgeous T.V. star and her hunky boyfriend on the beautiful estate of an old New York family.

After a day of easy conversation and yummy food washed down with shared glasses of rose, we were all floating on our little pink clouds, far from the hustle of the work week.

Lulled by the fresh air, the comfort of family, and the joys of a full belly, we were relaxed; we were ourselves — as far away from Hollywood and Manhattan as you can get.

In our jam-packed lives, taking time to relax can seem like an impossible fantasy. When you’re a mother, it can be especially hard. If you function like the Energizer bunny, relaxation can feel like a foreign object.

But when you stop working, stop e-mailing and stop running, that’s often when you’re at your best – alive, creative and acutely aware of what’s important, and what’s just fluff.

That clarity seems too precious to confine to Sundays. Couldn’t we all use little reminders during our jam-packed weeks?

Here are my tips to live the good life every day of the week. All you need is a few minutes, because frequently, that’s all we’ve got.

1. Get a green kiss.

As I walked the grounds in upstate New York on Sunday, a sense of cleansing calm prevailed. It is reassuring to walk among trees which have been around longer than you. The gardens bustle with life and breath. As nature around you exhales, so do you.

Little green kisses during the week maintain this connection with your natural element.

- Add some green plants to your office. Get inspired by Kamal Meattle, a business owner in India. He has the healthiest building in Delhi, thanks to the 1200 plants in his 50,000 square foot building. He uses plants like the Money Plant to remove toxins from the air (and bring good luck!) See his video and details on TED to grow your own fresh air.

- If you need a high-power boost, try green superfoods. These include grasses and algae like wheatgrass, spirulina and chlorella. The latter two, both algae, provide a complete source of virtually everything your body needs, in addition to the cleansing power of chlorophyll. They can be good tools to lose weight, get energy back, or supplement when traveling.

- Use your lunch break to get some fresh air and sunlight. Grab your lunch instead of having it delivered. Clear your head with a walk around the block.

- Green kisses are great, French kisses are even better. Ten seconds of relaxation, and I’ll leave the rest to your imagination…

2. Eat what you want.

As I sat down to lunch on Sunday with my beautiful, thin actress companion – one question was on my mind. Does she eat? We were mutually relieved when each of us tucked into salads (of course) followed thank God by real food.

It seems both of us eat what we want, but also know when we’re overdoing it. This philosophy is about listening to your body and your appetite levels, a connection that takes practice. It’s also important to create a solid foundation for yourself by choosing natural foods over processed foods. They will confuse your body and trip you up, no matter how hard you try.

As women, we often don’t eat what we really want. That’s reserved to special occasions, over-the-top pregnancies or blow-out week-ends that lead to guilty Mondays. How many days of the week do you eat what you want?

No matter where you’re at, leave the leisurely barbecues to Sunday, but do take a break a lunch. Put your work aside, step away from the computer, and take a few minutes to focus on your breath, on your chewing rhythm and on the flavors in your food. When you eat without distraction, you feel more satisfied and eat the right amount for your appetite, instead of over-eating.

3. Take a power moment.

Week-ends often give you the luxury of having a little more time to connect with friends and family, or to do the things outside of work you enjoy. I consider those things our motors. They keep us humming along with energy for the week.

But like any Grand Prix race car, we need to make pit stops along the way, during the week too. That’s where power moments come in: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or more, if you can spare it, of time to relish. For me, these take the form of 5 minute calls with my best friend in California, a few times a month. We schedule longer calls when we really need them, but in the regular course of life, those few minutes together bring joy and connection to a busy week.

If there is a special project you want to do for yourself, or someone or something you miss, make it a part of your week. Take a 5 minute power moment. Sometimes it’s enough to make any day feel like Sunday.

Live épanoui*

Elisa

* in full bloom