January

A slow start to the year.

The first weekend of a new month. I woke up to a fresh layer of snow, the sun ever so gently tickling the rooftops. The glistening powder now surely evanescent with time. The sky a beautiful and clear blue. Everything feels crisp, clean, bright,

I turn in my warm and comfy mountain of pillows. I have put off reading for a while, the thought overwhelming. The large stack of books by the side of my bed often overstimulating. But I reach for my first book of the year, Bird School by Adam Nicolson. Whom I soon discover is the husband of Sarah Raven. I am getting to hear all about another side of their farm, ‘Perch Hill’. A magical place I have wanted to visit for a long time. Now all I want to do is sit in Adam’s bird house; amongst birch and elm trees. Listening, admiring, absorbing.

My main intention for this year is to slow down. Followed closely by documenting things I see, hear and feel. I have always loved being enveloped in nature, but I don’t think I’ve ever let myself truly feel it. Last year I got back in touch with my creative side. Painting, drawing and scrapbooking after discovering Daria Gushchina. I loved it and felt truly inspired to create again. I intend to do more of it this year.

On Wednesday I am beginning ‘75 Soft’, I always like a gentle January and am not one for restricting things in winter. But I have found myself in a bit of a personal slump since losing my job. So I’m using this challenge to help myself mentally. It’s nothing too drastic. My goals are simply to walk every day, do a weighted exercise to become stronger (I am 40 this year), read one book a week, drink 3L of water a day, meditate for 15 minutes a day, not scroll before getting out of bed and cut out sugar. That’s it.

Then hopefully by spring, I will have found a new job, and hopefully feel better mentally and physically.