Hello everyone!
It's been a bright sunny day here and I'm bright and sunny in my mind too.
I don't know if you can relate to this, but sometimes my mind gets into a heavy tangle and it WEIGHS ME DOWN. I've felt a bit like this recently and I wish it didn't happen, but it does.
Something I read made a lot of sense, it was about the mind needing to be still and the body active but most of us do it the other way around.
And that the answer to calm an overactive mind is to move our body, as much as we might not feel like it. That's why I always feel so good if I go for a walk, even a short one.
So many of us sit at a desk for our work that it's hard to have dedicated moving time, but hopefully we can get up and do something instead of sitting there hour after hour.
When I worked in an office in the city I'd go for a walk in my lunch break instead of staying in the office to eat my lunch. Unless it was really rainy or cold, but even then it always felt better to get out into the natural light and fresh air.
Something else that helps for me is to pump myself up on positivity when I need it - I'm putting air in my tyres when I'm feeling flat! It makes a huge difference.
If you're feeling a little tangled or flat yourself, I hope you can identify a few ways in which you can feel better.
I don't know if you can relate to this, but sometimes my mind gets into a heavy tangle and it WEIGHS ME DOWN. I've felt a bit like this recently and I wish it didn't happen, but it does.
Something I read made a lot of sense, it was about the mind needing to be still and the body active but most of us do it the other way around.
And that the answer to calm an overactive mind is to move our body, as much as we might not feel like it. That's why I always feel so good if I go for a walk, even a short one.
So many of us sit at a desk for our work that it's hard to have dedicated moving time, but hopefully we can get up and do something instead of sitting there hour after hour.
When I worked in an office in the city I'd go for a walk in my lunch break instead of staying in the office to eat my lunch. Unless it was really rainy or cold, but even then it always felt better to get out into the natural light and fresh air.
Something else that helps for me is to pump myself up on positivity when I need it - I'm putting air in my tyres when I'm feeling flat! It makes a huge difference.
If you're feeling a little tangled or flat yourself, I hope you can identify a few ways in which you can feel better.
~~
I've got some lovely reader photos to share with you this week, on living a soft, calm life to celebrate the release of my new book '100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life'.
First up is from reader Cathleen, who lives in the Netherlands.
Here’s what Cathleen has to say:
“This is a photo from the end of September 2023 when the leaves were just starting to turn. I was out for my daily constitutional in my village here in the Netherlands. I’m a Scot who’s lived here for 40yrs and I still love how neat, tidy, super organised and well-presented everything is. I live in a village near The Hague in what’s called the province of ‘South Holland’.”
It is such a beautiful photo and looks more like artwork than 'everyday life' for people 😊 Thank you Cathleen!
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Now more than ever we owe it to ourselves to slow down our external and our internal worlds. No-one else is going to do it for us.
As females our nervous systems are more ‘delicate’ and we can find ourselves more easily stressed if we don’t take the initiative in calming our surroundings, sinking into a softer mindset, and soothing ourselves with enjoyable pursuits.
It is only then that we can 'pour from a full cup'.
I many of you have already read '100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life' and even left a review on Amazon. I thank you so much for that! I read all my reviews and am so grateful. And if you have constructive advice for me I take that on too.
It is available on Kindle and in paperback, with the audiobook coming very soon, here on Amazon.
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How cute is this outdoor area? It belongs to reader Julia from St. Ann, Missouri, USA, and she sent it in to me to join our petite series on living a soft, calm life.
Her husband calls it her happy place, and Julia told me she looks forward to bringing her plants out every year and reading ‘in her happy place’.
I love it!
It makes me think of creating your own reading nook, except Julia's is in her garden. So, so lovely.
I want to share an excerpt from ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ today, which I think suits Julia’s delightful photo well.
It’s tip no. 16. from the bonus chapter ‘50 Ways to Romanticize Your Everyday’.
Her husband calls it her happy place, and Julia told me she looks forward to bringing her plants out every year and reading ‘in her happy place’.
I love it!
It makes me think of creating your own reading nook, except Julia's is in her garden. So, so lovely.
I want to share an excerpt from ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ today, which I think suits Julia’s delightful photo well.
It’s tip no. 16. from the bonus chapter ‘50 Ways to Romanticize Your Everyday’.
:: Plan a little picnic ::
“Whether it’s a carpet picnic inside, taking a rug outdoors to your lawn, or going to a public park or beach, there’s something so romantic about sitting cross-legged with a few delicious snacky foods and a delicious drink.”
Even when it’s winter like it is here in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, we can still spend some time outdoors (in between rain showers, when the sun peeks out!) I do love wintry weather but it felt like a real tonic to sit in the sun eating my lunch a few days this week.
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“I read in your latest email that you are inviting readers to send you pretty pictures from their soft and calm lives. I would be happy for you to share my name and location with other readers.
I'm sending a colorful picture I took recently of some beautiful peonies in full bloom. I like to take pictures of my flowers so that I can enjoy them beyond just a few days. I also like this composition because it shows some delicious fruit that we bought in peak season.
Here's to the simple life!”
~~
Such a lovely idea to take photos of flowers and fruit at their peak so that you can have your own little library of delights. I love it!
I picked six daffodils a few days ago, which are starting to come up in our garden. Flowers really are a gift to our soul aren’t they? 😊
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I’d like to share another excerpt, and it’s tip no. 37.
:: Keep up little home details that delight you ::
“Some ladies buy themselves an inexpensive bouquet of flowers each week. I go through phases of this depending on what is available and how much they cost.
But something I never fail to do in my environment is to change my hand towels daily, and my pillow slips twice a week (once when I change the sheets, and once in between changes).
Doing this creates only a miniscule amount of extra laundry but these two details bring me so much happiness I can’t say! It’s a pleasure to always dry my hands on a clean towel, and I love having fresh pillow slips more often too.
Find areas like this in your home (or borrow mine) and create a little extra luxury for yourself.”
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And our final photo on living a soft, calm life this week is from Leslie in British Columbia, Canada.
Leslie said:
'You continue to inspire…here is my morning view…listening to the birdsong.'
Thank you so much for sharing Leslie! I love your blue and white striped shirt and your red geraniums too ❤️💙❤️💙❤️
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I have to share a funny comment from my mother. She gave me a packet of rice crackers which I wasn't sure I would like, they were salted caramel flavour. I sent her a text when I tried them with cheese, saying they were very nice.
She asked what kind of cheese I had, and I said brie and colby. She was that was ideal, that they suited 'a soft, calm cheese' 😂😂😂 My mum has a good sense of humour!
I hope you're having a lovely weekend. We're watching bits and pieces of the Olympics here. Wasn't the opening ceremony wonderful? So fun to see beautiful Paris, and Celine Dion was amazing.
xx Fiona
PS. My Amazon links are 'affiliate' which means I may earn a small commission from items that you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I appreciate it if you choose to use my links!
Fiona ~ I think getting out in nature is the best way to fend off negative thought...walking on the beach works for me. When the pandemic hit we were not allowed to congregate but we could get outside...I went out almost everyday. I felt the wind in my hair, the salty air and found shells and seaglass on the beach....I think it saved my sanity!
ReplyDeleteThank you for continuing your lovely blog and I must compliment you on your gorgeous and youthful complexion...whatever you are doing is working :-))
Leslie
Hostess of the Humble Bungalow
Thank you Leslie, and thank you for your lovely Morning View photo! x
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