Last week, in the Sunday Post magazine, I spoke about keeping the mojo in check when the clocks go back.
There are times that we need to dig deep to look after our Winter wellness. Last night, we went for a walk for Halloween and it left me feeling quite sad. The year previous had been such a fun night, with great energy. The streets were buzzing. What a difference a year can make. The streets were so empty and dark this year, with a little kick from storm Aiden. On the flip side, the moon was outstanding, every cloud.
When we got home, I filled up a bucket with apples and we did some old school dooking to lighten things up a bit.
I think it is important that we accept there will be days that feel dark, gloomy and sad. I have had some messages about the rise of anxious feelings and have covered the topic in detail on my podcast this week, with the wonderful Gail from Mumforce, you can tune in here at episode 102.
Gail talks very openly about mental health, which is always music to my ears. It is a powerful conversation with nothing held back.
In terms of keeping the mojo in Winter, as I shared in the article above, there are so many toolkits we can use.
What else helps me?
- Recording podcasts with wonderful humans, like the episode above.
- Singing at the top of my lungs like nobody can hear me (like the end of my podcasts).
- Consuming positive content and being around people who keep it real.
- Going into my cave to chill out. We all need a cave. I love a bath with candles, a chilled dip in the sea or a lake, a run or cycle in nature or a relaxed and quiet room where I can read and write or simply be still. I also love sitting by a fire. I received an amazing package to take into my cave, from the team at Oils in Bloom. I got a luxury candle which smells amazing, a sleep spray which I use every night before I get into bed to read and some delightful wax melts (called happy) and a wax burner. These would make amazing gifts and what I love about this brand is that everything is eco friendly and handmade. I love to support small businesses like this.
- Knowing when it is time to come out of the cave. We need to connect with others. I think it is important to schedule in time to walk with friends during the colder seasons. It is a great excuse to get away from the screens and ‘to do’ list.
- Eating a diet with lots of vegetables and not much gluten. I feel so much better when I do this. If you are looking for some inspiration, last week I made vegetable soups, tomato and lentil curry with brown rice, veggie cottage pie (great as mashed potatoes on top are gluten free) and roasted veggies (asparagus is really good and super easy oven baked with some lemon and tomatoes). I also made a spiced pumpkin soup and roasted the seeds to add to salads (learning about the pumpkin waste on a recent session I was speaking on BBC Radio got to me). This week I have already cooked and prepped a big bowl of quinoa that will stay in the fridge and can be grabbed when I need it. I have ingredients to make a nice dressing with a kick and will drizzle it over for lunch salads. I am also planning to do a sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry and a veggie chilli con carne. As these dishes go with rice, it will be easy to dodge the gluten. Quinoa is also gluten free which is a winner.
- Fresh air every single day, even if there is a storm. A quick walk round the block will still make a difference. Also, if it is pouring of rain, it can be really soothing wrapping up and going out under the umbrella.
On the topic of fresh air, if you are local to Edinburgh, I was recently invited to check out the following places and they are fab and gave us all a top mojo injection:
Wondrous Woods – Set within the spectacular estate of the magnificent Hopetoun House, this is a magical creative lighting journey through the winding mystical pathways of the Wondrous Woods. As well as the creative lighting, there are lots of sound and special effects, movement and installations. The kids were super excited. I almost forgot about covid, despite all the safety measures they have spent so much time putting into place.
We had a blast and it was great to feel a sense of normality, again despite all the safety measures that the team have worked so hard at. We have been playing Mario Cart at home so it was great to race each other in real life.
We love a good bounce too so the adventure park is perfect. They even have football golf which is great fun.
Oh and they still sell ice cream and hot drinks so happy kids and parents. I love the way kids still devour ice cream even when in Winter. We are looking forward to going back for the Christmas drive through. I have been asked about it since I posted an image on my stories. You can find more here.
We had so much fun that we lasted until sunset, a great way to clock up the much needed time outside.
I know it can be hard, but digging deep to find gratitude for each season is so important. Once we get still, we are reminded that they are all gorgeous in their own right. As for the rain, the plants need a good water. You got this.
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