The Joys of Afternoon Tea and Remembering Old Times

This may seem like a rather random post, on a very random topic, but I thought I'd share one of my treasured daily rituals. Afternoon tea. If you are a tea drinker, then I'm sure you'll identify... if not, this will all sound a bit silly and frivolous :) 

Afternoon tea is one of my favorite things. It comes at a time in the day when my battery is running low, my mind is wandering and work is the last thing I feel like doing. It doesn't help that I'm a huge caffeine addict and people who know me well know that I'm not a nice person to be around when I'm caffeine deprived. So for me afternoon chai represents not just a caffeine fix, but a 15 minute break where I forget about work, sit down with a nice magazine/book, sip my tea and switch off... no phone, no deadlines, just me, my cuppa and my two Marie biscuits, enjoying the moment. It's surprising how inspiring those 15 minutes can be sometimes :)

That's one of the reasons I try and follow this routine no matter how busy I am. I think it sort of helps to switch off for a bit... the break does me good and I come back focused and relaxed... a much better frame of mind to be in than stressed about deadlines. 

I remember when I was working in a design firm, come tea time we would all turn away from our screens, our cutting chai in one hand, a Glucose biscuit in another, and we'd bitch about work, our boss, our clients and life in general. We also shared a lot of ideas in those moments and critiqued each other's work, often ruthlessly. It was so invigorating, and I can't tell you how many ideas took shape from those animated discussions. We have all moved on from those days and have started our own firms, but those 15 minutes represent great times and wonderful memories that I will always cherish. Tea time is one of the few things I miss about working in an office:) 

It's been a busy week so far - deadlines and clients who can't seem to make up their minds about anything, which means my timelines are taking a real beating. I sometimes wish I had thought about this aspect of the job a little more before choosing this field :) Well, c'est la vie :) At least it's Friday and I have two days where I don't have to think about work! 

I know we all live really busy lives, and it seems like we are always on the go, but I think it's important to sometimes stop and enjoy the little moments, a conversation, a cup of tea/coffee and slow down even, if it's just for a fleeting moment... 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

[Images- Shalini Pereira]