5 ways to savour the day

With the constant flow of work to do, places to go and people to see all working their way into a regular routine, it's easy to let the days slip past without really noticing them. I think the trick to enjoying these kinds of days is to shun the routines and replace them with rituals. Treat each day like it's a dream wardrobe and you can have any of the clothes you want from it, you just have to choose to wear them. To start you off, why not try one of the tips I've outlined below?

My friend Holly sharing a pot of coffee with me on my front wall yesterday morning

Have coffee outside and watch the world go by, you don't have to go to a cafe with al fresco tables. Just brew a pot, set out your fanciest crockery and add a biscuit on the side, then serve on a tray in your front garden/ back garden/balcony/local park. I find that this is especially enjoyable on a sunny morning when you can watch the light get higher in the sky but it's still cool enough to see the patterns the steam makes in the dawn.

A couple of boxes of herbal tea tied together make a lovely and inexpensive gift

Give a gift to someone spontaneously. If you do this fairly early in the day, you can watch the expression of surprise followed by delight on their faces and keep it with you throughout. Now it doesn't have to be a big gift, it doesn't even need to be a physical object. After all, compliments can brighten a day endlessly.

Visit somewhere beautiful. I know it's not always possible, but if you work in the city, for example, you are never more than a short and cheap bus/train/tram ride to something you can marvel at during your lunchbreak. Hey, you could even bring some sandwiches and eat them there, acting the whole time like you own the place. If you think there is nothing close enough for you to go to, I beg to differ. In the words of Madonna, "Beauty's where you find it."

Treat yourself on the way home from work or school or wherever. It could be a moment that you take to pause and look at the view from that bridge you always cross, or perhaps sitting on a nearby bench when a great song starts playing on your iPod. I know what mine would be, and it would almost certainly be cupcake-shaped...

King Alfred the Great

Watch the sunset somewhere with an incredible skyline. We all know how dramatic and beautiful it can be when the colours of a sunset mingle with the landscape, but if you want something truly jaw-dropping to behold, position yourself somewhere the buildings will create shadows against the sky. Above is the view from the bottom of Winchester's high street, and I like how King Alfred seems to be bidding the daylight farewell.