Mindfulness – Keeping it creative

Analogue activities, intentional living, life hacks, lifestyle, Mindfulness, Setting goals and intentions, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: Stop mindlessly scrolling and choose something that actually supports your wellbeing (40+ ideas)

Posted on Jul 27, 2026Jul 26, 2026 by Laura

I think most of us will agree that we spend far too much time on our mobile phones, scrolling social media on apps such as Facebook and Instagram, watching endless YouTube or Tiktok videos and reading emotive ‘news’ content which has drawn us in through the usual click bait titles or pop ups. And, if we took the time to really think about what we want from life, reading random content and wasting hours on our phones does not feature on our mental or physical list of priorities for 2026.

So, for today’s blog post, I’m sharing lots of ideas for alternative activities that will actually make you feel good and won’t waste precious minutes (or more likely hours) of your day. I’ve tried to include something for everyone and hopefully you’ll be able to pick out a few from each category which sound good and are easily actionable. Without further ado, let’s dive in:

Meditative and mindful activities

I’ve talked about the many benefits of engaging in mindfulness and flow state activities before but importantly they include a reduction in stress, anxiety and depression, plus improved concentration, attention and decision making, all of which support better wellbeing. Here’s some activities to turn to when you find yourself reaching for your phone a little too much.

Try a spot of journalling – e.g. stream of consciousness (i.e. whatever comes into your head and out on paper), gratitude, favourite things about the current season, intentions for your morning / evening / weekend, goals for the month
Do a short meditation or sit/lie doing nothing for 10 minutes, focusing on just your breath (and don’t worry if you get distracted or your mind bobs about)
Engage in mindful movement such as yoga or tai chi. Or, why not dance around your kitchen or the bedroom to an upbeat song or piece of classical music
Work on a jigsaw (my favourite are 1000 piece ones because they’re challenging enough to really get you ‘in the zone’)
Drawing, painting or colouring – or a combination of all 3
Find a cosy corner of your home (or make one using cushions and blankets) or a quite space in your garden and read a few chapters of a book
Grab a puzzle book and do a crossword, wordsearch, sudoku or other personal favourite to get your brain really working
Buy or borrow a glossy magazine and find a peaceful space to read / flick through
Pick a photography genre e.g. landscape, wildlife or nature, pet, street, macro, abstract and explore. You can use your phone for this but make sure you put it on ‘do not disturb’ first as you don’t want to get distracted.
Tend to your houseplants – check for signs of destress and evaluate care, wipe dust from leaves, remove decayed parts, check moisture levels of the soil, feed them, decide if any need repotting, rotate to ensure balanced growth, prune if required
Watch a cartoon you used to love as a child and really immerse yourself in it (phone in another room) – can you remember what you particularly loved?
Make a cup of tea or coffee and really take your time to appreciate it – use your senses to explore the sound of the kettle being boiled and the water filling the container, aroma, colour, warmth of the mug or cup, taste etc. Be grateful by thinking about the processes and effort involved in the production to ensure a quality product.
Declutter your handbag – empty it out and then decide what you want to put back in and what is fit for the bin or needs filing.
Check in with your vision board for the year or goals for the month or quarter. Have you forgotten about some of them? What are your next actions? Have your priorities changed? etc.

Outdoor fun

You can enjoy spending time outdoors at any time of year but as we’re having some lovely weather at the moment, here are some activities to engage in whilst it’s fine:

Make a paper aeroplane and see how well it flies in your garden, backyard or local park – there’s various instructions online if you need them (I did this as a Finch App challenge last week and had such a laugh!)
Try something else you enjoyed as a child – frisbee, hoola hoop, ball in a bucket, skipping, hopscotch, ring toss etc.
Fill a picnic bag with fresh summer fruits (e.g. strawberries, peach, watermelon, mango, raspberries or cherries) and some dainty sandwiches (cut into little triangles) and enjoy an impromptu picnic in your garden or yard or go a bit further a field and pop to a local park. Take a picnic rug or blanket and choose an area in the sunshine or under the shade of a tree depending on your preferences.
Take a short drive or walk to an area of your city or town that you’ve never visited before and explore. We did this a few nights ago and walked across a new bridge over the river and found some new bars and eateries, plus gorgeous park which is soon to open.
Go to a local nature area and engage in observation and exploration e.g. do bird or wildlife spotting, take a short hike to a water feature such as a pond, stream, river or waterfall, or go armed with a field guide or app (okay you’ll have to look at your phone for this one, but it’ll be more purposeful) and identify insects, trees, wildflowers, grasses, fungi or lichens.
Try out a new art or craft in the garden or at a picnic bench somewhere – I bought a cyanotype “sunography” kit from a National Trust shop and had great fun experimenting with it on a sunny afternoon in the garden. I also took my watercolours out and did a mini painting session.
Lie on a blanket on the grass during the day and do some cloud gazing or, find a clear night and do some star gazing. You could even print off a constellations map and see what you can spot.
Take a brisk, short walk round the block to get some fresh air (whatever the weather)
Grab a sketchbook and have a go at drawing something in nature e.g a wildflower, a leaf, a tree, a stream, mountains or hills in the distance etc.
Enjoy a short bike ride around your local area.

Sensory / hands on

Sensory activities have a great many benefits including stress and anxiety relief, better connection with emotions and ability to process difficult feelings, improved cognition, memory and attention and opportunities for much needed self care. They can also encourage a sense of curiosity, creativity and playfulness.

(N.B. Many of these ideas are mindful and meditative too)

Spend half an hour tending to your garden – weeding, pruning, setting seeds, mowing the lawn etc.
Make a refreshing mocktail or smoothie as a fun drink to enjoy supping.
Create a vision board using photographs from magazines.
Bake a tasty treat in the kitchen.
Try out origami or balloon modelling.
Buy a small chocolate bar then mindfully and slowly savour every single bite.
Do a sensory check in – notice 5 things you see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
Try out different teas or flavoured coffee syrups.
Visit your local library and spend time browsing the books.
Buy a packet of air dry clay (or make playdough) and use it to create animals, patterns or simple shapes.
Declutter or re-organise a drawer, cupboard or shelf in your home (okay, this might not be fun but you’ll feel so good afterwards).
Have an at home spa evening with soothing essential oils, scented candles, face or body masks, luxurious hand and foot creams or maybe a manicure or pedicure.
Grab a mirror, paper and pencils and doodle a quick self portrait (and if you draw faces and people like I do – laugh or smile at the results!)
Go to a local park or cafe and do some people watching.
Spend quality time with your pet – obviously what this looks like depends on the animal but it could include grooming, playing a game, giving treats, enjoying snuggles etc.
Fix something that is in need of repair – sew on a button, replace sealant, tighten up a handle somewhere, unclog a plug hole, touch up paint, fill in a hole in a wall etc.
Try out calligraphy or hand lettering -there’s lots of practice sheets available for free online.

Final words…

A lovely idea which I saw on YouTube a few weeks ago (yes, I was randomly watching videos that popped up at the time, you caught me!), was to create a hobby basket full of items to reach for when you’re in need of some me time. However, I think this could be adapted to an anti-scroll basket full of resources for some of the above ideas. You could add things like a small colouring book and pencils, a deck of yoga pose cards, a project you’re working on such as knitting, crochet, cross stitch or embroidery, a sketch pad and pencil, a poetry book you can dip into, a print out of some recipes you want to try, or even an anti-scroll menu or list (which could include pictures for inspo too.

Once you start reaching for analogue activities instead of your phone, you’ll begin to realise how long you actually wasted on scrolling and discover that you have plenty of time to try out new activities or engage in those which already bring you so much joy but that you never seem to fit into your busy schedule.

goal setting, intentional living, lifestyle, Mindfulness, nature, wellbeing, wellness

Easy and fun ways to make the most of your summer

Posted on Jun 25, 2026Jun 26, 2026 by Laura

For the last week or so, it’s felt like summer has finally arrived in the North East of England with better weather, more sunshine, warm breezes and the chance to wear some of my new seasonal outfits whilst sitting out in the garden. Although I struggle when (if!) it gets really hot due to my very fair skin burning super easily, I love it when it gets up to around 22 degrees C (around 72 degrees Fahrenheit) especially on days when I can just sit and relax outdoors.

Every season, I create a personal bucket list full of activities, including things I always enjoy at that time of year, and new things I’d like to try (harnessing the power of firsts as advised by Meik Wiking in his book The Art of Making Memories). This year, I’m also taking part in the monthly bingo challenges being run by Kelseyleigh over at My Abiding Journal, which is currently providing even more ideas for making the most of my summer.

So, today, I thought I’d share this year’s summer bucket list and also some further suggestions to help you make the most of the summer months whether you want adventures, experiences, opportunities to relax and recharge or a combination of all three. I hope my post gives you some new ideas or provides helpful reminders about maximising your days throughout the season. I would love to hear about your plans for the summer in the comments and if you’re excited about trying something new in 2026 feel free to share so others can take inspiration from you.

Summer 2026 Bucket List

I like to start planning my summer towards the end of spring by creating a bucket list in my bullet journal. For me, the season begins on June 1st so you’ll see I have a few items ticked off already. The cupcakes I made were vegan strawberry ones and although I think I would slightly modify the recipe if I made them again, I had such fun with my afternoon of baking and the cupcakes tasted great too.

It’s not too late to create your own summer bucket list for 2026 and you don’t have to make it super decorative like I have. Just a plain piece of paper or a page in a journal will do. You don’t have to get everything on your list ticked off but it helps to have something to work towards and provide inspiration.

Photo credit: Laura Jones for Keeping it Creative

I’ve just signed my husband and I up for strawberry picking on Sunday and I’m excited to try this for the first time at a farm in Northumberland where we enjoyed visiting a pumpkin patch a few years ago. I’m going to take my DSLR camera with me to record our time there.

Bingo boards

There are loads of seasonal bingo boards available online which you could use, or you could have a go at making your own. I found this lovely example, which is good for spotting various signs of the season, and most of the items can be observed in the UK. It was created by Haley Post at MyMoonstoneKitchen, whose content I really enjoy on YouTube. Her printable can be found on Patreon as a free download if you sign up as a (free) member.

The monthly bingo boards I’m having fun with are available if you become a paid member of My Abiding Journal on Patreon and you can see glimpses of them on Kelseyleigh’s Monthly Journalling livestreams too. I stick mine in my monthly highlights journal and add photos or a description to say how I’ve completed the items I have checked off. Although some of the activities are perhaps more aimed at people in the USA with the creator being based there, it still offers plenty of food for thought and you can always tweak a few of the ideas if they don’t suit.

A Summer Reading Challenge

This summer, I thought it would be fun to set myself a little reading challenge to help me try to diversify my reading and choose some books that I wouldn’t ordinarily pick. I generally go for psychological thrillers and police procedural crime novels, but I wanted to push myself to opt for something different during the summer months. So, having explored various 2026 summer reading bingo boards and reading challenges I found online for ideas, these are my chosen categories:

A book originally published in another country
A historical fiction book to be listened to on Audible
A children’s classic that I’ve never read before
A modern classic
A book published this year by an author whose work I’ve never read before
A memoir
A collection of poetry

I decided on 7 books for the challenge and I’m already on my second book which is Land by Maggie O’Farrell. Set in Ireland, it’s a historical novel which spans the years directly before and after the great hunger. I’m enjoying it so far and I’m glad I chose it as my audio book as the narrator is Irish actor Dane Whyte O’Hara which adds to the atmospheric and lyrical prose and enhances the reading experience wonderfully.

The first book was the children’s classic The Velveteen Rabbit and I found it available for free as an audio edition read by Richard Armitage. It was such a sweet little story and I listened to it to wind down after a busy day.

Seasonal eating

One of my favourite foods is in season in the UK in the summertime, and that’s strawberries which I like to enjoy in salads, with ice cream or yogurt, and, more recently in cupcakes! This year we’ve bought our own little plant, but, as it’s an alpine variety, we’ll only get mini fruits from it (as long as the flowers get pollinated!). I can see some tiny yellow fruits on the plant but I’m not sure if that guarantees they’ll turn into red strawberries or not. There’s also lots of flowers but I’m yet to spot a bee on any of them!

Other fruits we love to eat in the summer include watermelon, peaches, nectarines, cherries, pineapple, raspberries, plums and juicy tomatoes, most of which are grown in the UK. Eating locally grown produce (or at least from the UK) means that they retain their nutritional content, taste better and are better for the environment (less food miles). This recipe for watermelon, green bean, halloumi and mint salad is a favourite of ours and we even have own homegrown mint leaves to add this year.

In the summer, there are lots of vegetables that thrive here in the sunshine including peas, beans, courgettes, aubergines, peppers, lettuce and potatoes. When it’s a hot day, one of our favourite meals to create is a poke bowl (pronounced poh kay). This often includes layers of lettuce or spinach, cooled roasted veggies such as pepper, aubergine, butternut squash and broccoli, a protein source such as chickpeas and coucous, sweet potato chunks or cooled salad potatoes for the carbs. We then drizzle on salad dressing and enjoy our bowl al fresco at our outdoor table and chairs.

And, of course, as well as eating seasonal produce, you can also make some amazingly tasty fruity drinks too. Our current favourite is a refreshing ‘Cinderella’ mocktail which we found a recipe for last summer. It uses a combination of citrus flavours, sweetened with a small amount of grenadine syrups and, once shaken, is topped up with the spice of fizzy ginger ale. Here’s the ingredients to make two glasses full:

150ml orange juice
150ml pineapple juice
60ml lemon juice
3 teaspoons grenadine
1/2 litre ginger ale (or soda water if you prefer)

Add the orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice and grenadine to a cocktail shaker (or give it a good stir in a glass) and shake until combined. Divide into two tall glasses and add some ice. Top up with ginger ale. Enjoy!

Embracing the outdoors

Summer is the perfect time to connect with nature and enjoy spending lots of time outdoors. Being in natural environments improves our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing and is known to reduce stress and enhance our mood. I’ve been trying to spend as much time as I can in the garden this year and my husband and I have treated ourselves to a mini tabletop firepit which is perfect for sitting out in the late evening.

Have fun playing an outdoor game – my husband and I purchased a bright orange frisbee last year and we took it to a large outdoor space at a National Trust place we go to regularly. We both had smiles on our faces for the entire time, even though the wind kept lifting it and sending it off in the wrong direction! And it was fantastic exercise too. Other lovely outdoor games include bowls, badminton, quoits, croquet, throw and catch or even trying to get a ball or beanbag in an empty bucket.
Tend to your garden – summer is not the time for digging, moving plants or completely overhauling the garden but a few gentle maintenance activities such as hoeing a few weeds, deadheading spent flowers, checking on the progress of home growing fruit or vegetables helps to keep things progressing and looking good. It’s also important to do some early morning or early evening watering which allows the water to penetrate the soil and get to deep roots. Established plants should be watered deeply every few days or so, whereas seedling or delicate plants may require daily watering, especially during spells of hot weather. And, don’t forget to take time to observe your achievements and appreciate your hard work.
Take a hike – There are so many beautiful places to explore in the UK including the lake district, the highlands of Scotland, Snowdonia in Wales, The Peak District in Derbyshire and surrounding areas, the South West coastal path. It’s best to avoid walking during the hottest part of the day (11am – 3pm) but an early morning or evening trek can be wonderful. Also, remember to take plenty of rest breaks to look at the stunning scenery and always carry plenty of water to take sips from throughout your walk.
Go somewhere new and take a self-guided walking trail (you can find lots of these online or at a tourist information place) – depending on your preferences, this could be a historic tour of a nearby town or village, a nature walk through woodland, forest or around a lake or you could even follow a path around a nature reserve spotting birds from various hides. Just remember to dress appropriately for the weather, wear comfortable shoes and use sun protection.

Relax, reset and recharge

Just because the days are longer in the summer, doesn’t mean you have to fill every waking moment with tasks and adventurous activities. It’s also important to find time to rest and just be, especially when temperatures are particularly high and the Sun is blazing. Here are some ways to recharge and build wellbeing related activities into your routine:

Enjoy an analogue hobby outdoors – do some reflective journalling, read a book, sketch some of the flowers in your garden or at a local park, grab your paints and have a go at watercolour painting
Sit or lie outside (either in the sun with SPF on, or in the shade of a parasol or tree) and simply be. Try doing a mini meditation or other mindful activity such as using your senses to appreciate the here and now (take off your shoes and feel the grass beneath your feet, close your eyes and notice the different sounds around you, look up and watch the clouds moving and changing shape). I lay back on one of our reclining chairs a few days ago and I set the timer on my Fitbit for 20 minutes. I closed my eyes and relaxed for the whole time and those 20 minutes felt like a really long time. It was so good to just do nothing for a while – even though there was someone getting noisy building work done further down the street!
Pack a picnic and head to a local park, the coast, a lake or riverside. Depending on your preference, you could take a picnic rug or research somewhere nearby which has picnic benches available.
Give forest bathing a go – this restful, nature based activity was first developed in Japan but is now really popular in other cultures. This article from The National Trust provides a good introduction and also explains the wellbeing benefits.

Final words…

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading today’s blog post and it’s help you to come up with some lovely ways to make the most of Summer 2026. Although some of the activities will incur at least a small cost, there are also free suggestions if you’re living on a tight budget.

As I write these last few sentences of today’s blog post, it’s gone really dark and there are rumbles of thunder in the distance. And rather than thinking how awful the weather has turned, I’m excited to tick off an item on the summer bingo board – summer thunderstorm!

Wishing you your best summer yet!

mental health, Mindfulness, mindset, psychology, self care, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: 8 ways to instantly boost your mood

Posted on Jun 24, 2024Jun 22, 2024 by Laura

Sometimes, no matter how positive you feel when you wake up, particular events, issues, frustrations and even certain people’s attitudes can put a dampener on things and leave you feeling deflated. You probably wish you hadn’t let these parts of your day affect you as much as they have but it’s a natural part of life to experience ups and downs. When low mood strikes, there are a number of ways in which you can help yourself to feel better. Today, I’m sharing 8 tried and tested ideas which I’ve found helpful and I promise none of them include eating a gigantic bar of chocolate or any other highly calorific item!

Get out in nature

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of getting out in nature, whether that’s spending some time in my garden, heading to my local woodland park or even going to the beach to walk on the sand or paddle in the sea. It doesn’t have to be for long – just a few minutes of fresh air can make the world of difference to how you feel.

Listen to some upbeat tunes (even better, dance and sing too)

I first wrote about the benefits of listening to music back in 2021 and, as part of the post, I shared a page I’d created in my bullet journal with a mood boosting playlist. Musical taste is incredibly personal but choosing some upbeat songs to boogie, sing and listen along to can put you in a much better frame of mind. Here’s some ideas for uplifting tracks to find on YouTube, Apple Music or whatever happens to be your favourite resource to listen to through headphones or to blast out through your speakers (if it won’t disturb anyone):

Can’t Stop The Feeling By Justin Timberlake
I Got a Feeling By The Black Eyed Peas
Happy By Pharrell Williams
22 By Taylor Swift
Walking On Sunshine By Katrina & The Waves
Song 2 By Blur
Love Shack By B-52s
Roar By Katy Perry
Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses
Good Feelin’ By Flo Rida
Watermelon Sugar By Harry Styles
Dance Monkey By Tones And I
Groove Is In The Heart By Deee-lite
Blinding Lights By The Weeknd
Havana By Camila Cabello Feat. Young Thug

Whatever your favourite style of music, jot down an uplifting songs list or create a track list on your device and keep it in a memorable location (either on paper or digitally) to refer to when you need it.

Get moving

On the subject of moving our body, as an alternative to dancing along to your favourite tracks, you could also explore other forms of exercise in a bid to boost your mood. Any type of physical activity that raises your heart rate has been shown to release endorphins in the body. These hormones and neurotransmitters, which have been described as ‘a natural high’, will have you feeling better in minutes. Here’s some fun / invigorating summer time activities to try:

Spend some time in your garden pulling weeds, breaking up compacted soil in your borders, cutting your lawn, deadheading faded blooms, pruning bushes and shrubs, checking for hidden pests and watering thirst plants with a heavy watering can.
Get your bike out of the garage, dust it off and head to a trail of your choice. I like to go to the coast as it’s a straight stretch of cycle path which is wide enough for if I get the wobbles but if you search ‘easy bike rides near me’ you can explore different options available to you in your locality.
Play a game or do a physical activity that you used to enjoy as a kid – frisbee, bouncing a ball off a wall / bat / the ground,
Clean and or tidy your desk / room / house, then sit back and enjoy the feeling that comes with a neat and dust free space.
Take a brisk walk around the block and see if you can notice anything new or different – maybe someone in your immediate area has painted their fence, changed their car, got a new pet, weeded their driveway etc. Maybe the council has added a new sign, planted some young trees or mown the grass in another street. If you can’t see anything that’s changed, maybe you could think of some changes you would like to make if you were in charge!

Soak up some sunshine

Sunlight is a natural source of Vitamin D which has been scientifically proven to regulate your mood. If it’s a nice day, get your sunglasses and some sun protection on and feel the warmth on your skin. I like to sit on our bench or one of our patio chairs in the garden and close my eyes for some mindful listening to accompany the experience. This is a great way to get into a meditative state as it gives you something to focus on and minimises the change of your mind wandering towards the major or minor irritations I mentioned previously. In the summer, there’s generally lots of daytime sounds whether it’s someone mowing the lawn, children laughing, birds tweeting or even distant traffic noises.

What a video of something cute or funny

Open up YouTube on your phone or computer and search for cute or funny videos of, plus the name of your favourite pet or animal. Anyone who’s been following my blog for a while is likely to know my animal of choice is a Syrian hamster, but I can guarantee that there are videos out there to suit all whether that’s woodland birds, different pets or even more unusual choices like sealions, squirrels, polar bears or hedgehogs.

Dig out your photograph albums

Looking back at old photographs (and/or journals if you do memory keeping like I do) is a great way to bring to mind happy memories of exciting life events, people in your life (past and present) and places you’ve been. And if you’re one of those people who rarely print your images off, why not flick through those on your phone and select some to add to an album later. Taking time on your own to quietly sit and view several years worth of photographs can be very therapeutic, as can sharing them with loved ones either in person or by contacting them via phone, WhatsApp, email or even letter (pretty paper optional!).

Practise gratitude

Grab a piece of paper or your journal and make a list of five small things you’re grateful for in your life right now. Research shows that a consistent gratitude practice has so many health and wellbeing benefits so give it a try starting today and see how it makes you feel. Check out this blog post to learn more.

Make a list of things you love about yourself

Whilst you’ve got a pen and paper to hand, here’s another positive exercise to try. Write a title ‘Things I love about myself’ at the top of the page and then make a list of your best qualities. This could include physical aspects such as your smile, your lovely, long locks, your clear skin and healthy looking nails, your character traits, e.g. kindness, good analytical skills, reliability, optimism and so on, and things you’re really good at like cooking, motivating yourself, helping others, solving problems etc. Once you written as much as you can right now, try displaying your list somewhere so you can refer to it when you need a mood boost, or add to it when something comes to mind.

Inhale an uplifting scent

If you know anything about aromatherapy, you’ll probably be aware that some scents are thought to be uplifting and mood boosting. I have a few little essential oil bottles which I got from the Body Shop in strawberry, raspberry and exotic which I love to inhale at any given opportunity. My scents of choice are fruity smells but below are a list of classic options which I collected from various websites via Google.

vanilla
peppermint
jasmine
citrus scents including orange, lemon and grapefruit
juicy fruits like peaches, pear and pineapple
relaxing scents like lavender, ylang, ylang and chamomile
spicy scents such as ginger, cinnamon and clove
fresh forest options such as pine and eucalyptus

Of course, it’s important to experiment and see which you prefer (and think about the mood you want to create such as uplifting or relaxing) but these should get you started with that. As you learn more about aromatherapy, you might like to try combining scents to create your perfect mood booster!

Final words…

I hope you’ve found today’s post beneficial and the ideas will motivate you to be pro-active next time you find yourself in a funk or stressed by particular events in your day. If I haven’t shared your favourite way to uplift your mood, or relax when tensions are high, feel free to add it in the comments as it may help someone else to manage their mood in the future along with my ideas.

Thanks for reading and I’ll be back with another wellbeing post very soon,

goal setting, journalling, life hacks, lifestyle, meditation, Mindfulness, mindset, self care, Setting goals and intentions, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: Discovering joy in every season of the year using The Happiness Year by Tara Ward

Posted on Apr 22, 2024May 25, 2024 by Laura

A few months ago, I was looking in the health and wellbeing section at Waterstones and came upon a beautifully illustrated book about finding joy throughout the year by trying out different seasonal activities. At the time, I didn’t purchase it, but I regretted my decision so I ordered it from an online retailer. When it arrived, I added it to the bookcase in my craft room as I was already in the process of reading about 8 different books which is a few too many even by my standards. I pulled it out a few days ago and there are some lovely activities inside in the section which I started with – Spring. I tried out the first exercise this morning and really enjoyed it so I thought I would give a short summary of the book and share that first prompt with you today.

The Happiness Year: How to Find Joy In Every Season by Tara Ward

In the introductory section of the book, Tara discusses the aims of The Happiness Year and also talks about the emotion of happiness and the four positive chemicals that are released into your body when you’re happy – dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins (referred to as DOSE throughout the book). She then goes on to explain how to use and enjoy the book.

The remainder of the book is split into four sections – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and there are a collection of exercises provided in each which you can pick and choose from. In combination, they promise to help you in an holistic way – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Personally, I think I will probably try out all of the different activities and see which I prefer and benefit from the most.

Included within the book, there are journalling and brainstorming activities, meditations, physical exercises, goal setting and planning tasks, plus many more to explore and enjoy. You are also invited to complete them in a way that feels comfortable for you, taking into account individual differences and preferences.

So far, I’ve only read the Spring chapter in depth but I’ve had a good flick through all of the book and I can already see there are many exercises that will appeal.

Exploring your thoughts, feelings and ideas about Spring

As I said earlier, I completed the first activity this morning and I enjoyed it so much that I felt compelled to share it with you. I think this exercise would work well for each of the four seasons, not just Spring. Here’s a step by step explanation of what to do:

Take an A4 piece of paper and place it in front of you
Write the word SPRING in large letters at the bottom of the page
Close your eyes and take three deep, comfortable breaths to focus you in the present moment
Open your eyes and look at the word
What comes to mind when you think of Spring?
Write down everything which comes up for you
When you’ve run out of ideas, close your eyes again, breathe deeply and continue thinking about the season
Note down any further ideas or images which come to mind
When you feel you’ve finished, look over your sheet
What jumps out at you the most? Circle any words or phrases which particularly resonate or feel important to you. Are then any surprises?
What is the overriding emotion when you look at your words? Write that emotion or emotions at the top of the page.
Look through the words and make a list of those which generate feelings of happiness.

I hope you found this a helpful exercise and it reminded you about all of the lovely things which happen in the Springtime. I’ve included my sheet below, how does it compare to yours?

Final words…

If you enjoy mindful activities such as journalling, setting intentions, exploring the world using your five senses, breathwork, meditation and appreciating the simple things in life, I would definitely recommend checking out The Happiness Year. The book will help you find ways to appreciate and make the most of all of the things that each season has to offer you. You’ll also find a range of self care activities to increase your happiness levels by releasing a good ‘DOSE’ of positive chemicals. Let me know if you try the exercise outlined above and how it made you feel.

lifestyle, mental health, Mindfulness, Planning and journaling, reflective journalling, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: 4 Ways to Destress after a Busy Day

Posted on Jan 15, 2024Jan 16, 2024 by Laura

Most of us lead very busy lives and it can be incredibly difficult to switch off and relax in the evening in preparation for a good night’s sleep. Today, I’m sharing four excellent ways to wind down after a stressful or busy day. The following activities are great for your mental health and wellbeing and I’m going to be offering lots of different options to choose from depending on your preferences.

Do a journalling activity

After a busy or particularly stressful day, it can often be super difficult to calm our mind. Your head can be full of all kinds of clutter in the form of thoughts (both positive and negative), ideas or feelings. Maybe you’re busy analysing or deconstructing everything that has happened and going through things that were said. Perhaps you’re worrying about your mounting to do list and what didn’t get crossed off today because of x,y and z which took priority. Or, you might be looking towards tomorrow, thinking about the events in your diary or how you can be super productive and get more done whilst making it a calmer, less stress inducing day. If any of the above apply, you might be wondering if you will ever be able to switch off and sleep tonight. This is where getting your thoughts and feelings out of your head and onto paper can be super helpful. Just ten minutes of free flow or structured journal writing can make all the difference.

I learnt the following method for putting the day to rest when I was teaching, when every day was a busy day and I was really struggling to relax and sleep.

Putting the day to rest activity

Set aside 20 minutes in the early evening (I used to do this at 7.30pm)
Sit down somewhere quiet
Think about your day today and how it has gone, what you did and how you feel about it
Write it down in bullet points or free writing if you prefer
Write down anything you didn’t get done off your to-do list
Think about tomorrow – do you have any particular events coming up? what are looking forward to? are there any worries you have about what’s happening?
Write down a loose or structured plan for your day depending on your own needs (you can always modify this as you learn what works best for you.
When it comes to later evening and bedtime, if thoughts about today or tomorrow pop into your head, remind yourself that you’ve already evaluated your day and planned for tomorrow, so you don’t need to think about it any more.
If new thoughts come into your head at bedtime, jot them down on a piece of paper or on a notepad.

Other types of prompt based journalling might also work for you and there are some lovely ones on the market which can be used before bed. I’m a big fan of The Five Minute Journal but there are plenty of much cheaper options if this doesn’t fit with your budget. How much you want to write is up to you but it’s good to develop a consistent practice which becomes a positive habit to end your work time or day with.

Try a Mindful or Meditative Practice

Any type of activity that requires a high level of concentration and uses different senses is great for helping you to forget about the busyness of your day. Here’s some ideas for mindful and meditative activities which you might like to try:

Meditation – this can simply be sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing or using a guided practice. I recently found this account on YouTube that has some lovely ones with different foci that you mind find helpful. When choosing a guided session, it’s important to find someone who’s voice you find soothing and relaxing so you might like to try out a few to establish your preferences.
Crafting – there are so many different crafting options such as papercrafting, watercolour painting, knitting, sewing, crochet, model making and so on – why not give a few beginner projects a go to see which you prefer.
Some kind of puzzle e.g. a jigsaw, wordsearch, crossword etc. – great for keeping your mind active
Games – this could be something on your computer that you play by yourself such as Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Word Cookies or Patience, or one you play with others such as Boggle, Yahtzee, Gin Rummy, Scrabble or Jenga.
Enjoy a scented bubble bath and use your senses to fully appreciate the experience.
Cook a meal from scratch – measure out your ingredients with care, fully engaged with chopping / dicing / peeling etc, smell the different flavours as the dish cooks, taste the mixture to check the seasoning and so on. Mindfully enjoy the results at your dining table. Share your experience with others.
Watch something engaging on TV – comedy, drama, nature, historical interest or reality. Whatever you enjoy, give it your full attention and leave your phone or tablet in another room so you don’t get distracted. If you’re anything like me at this time of year, you’ll want to get your PJs on and snuggle under a warm blanket with your feet up for this one!

Read a book or magazine

Spending time reading a novel, information book, or favourite magazine is a great way to unwind and get yourself all relaxed and ready for bed. I love Psychologies magazine, as it’s full of positive ideas, and I can learn new ways of managing mental health and wellbeing at the same time.

Some people argue that you shouldn’t read in bed, but I find reading a few chapters of my Kindle novel (or for about 30 minutes) helps me to drift off really quickly. Try reading just before bed and reading in bed to see which works best for you.

Spend quality time with a loved one

Arranging an after work activity to do with a co-worker, friend, family member or partner can also help us destress. This could involve going out for an after-work drink, doing an evening class, watching a film at the cinema, seeing a comedy show or visiting a new or favourite restaurant. Alternatively, you might plan something fun to do together at home such as making popcorn to eat whilst watching a film, playing a board game or learning something new such as massage or reflexology.

Spending time with a pet is also great way to destress and calm the mind. This could include something you know they enjoy such as throwing a ball for your dog to catch at your local park (depending on the time of year), stroking your cat as they sit curled up on your knee, or watching your hamster as they zip around the house in their exercise ball.

Final words…

So there you have it, four ways to take yourself out of work/busy mode and into a relaxed state for the evening. I hope today’s post has given you food for thought and you’ll try one or two of the activities listed to see how they help. If you have any other preferences for your wind down routine, let me know in the comments.