Currently we're running through a Z-A of activities to try, in order to manage stress and anxiety and support self-care.
H is for Hampers, Hidden Beaches & Hot Air Balloons
The letter H helps us to make hay while the sun shines this July. Here are the highlights for happiness and healing on the horizon.
What to create: Hampers
Long thought of as wicker baskets, or even briefcase like, of food or wine. They now come in all shapes and sizes, containing anything from edible surprises to crafty gifts. It doesn't need to be a special occasion, but it is always a treat!
Many websites and shops will allow you to choose products to individualise as much as possible. If you fancy being more creative, why not make it truly personal and curate a box full of the recipient's favourite things. It's also a great way to keep costs down.
A present guaranteed to induce smiling. We don't really need a reason to show someone we care.
What to explore: Hidden beaches
I do love a beach, especially pebble. (I know, I'm in the minority.) Summer brings crowds. If you're a people watcher, or in pursuit of activity, then perfect. But if you like a sun lounger snooze, to settle down with a good book or simply watch the waves, then you probably want peace and quiet.
Hidden patches of sand, shingle, rocks and caves offer nature up in serene seclusion. A chance to explore and reflect, where exclusivity feels special. It's also a chance to run around shrieking and build all the sandcastles you want, without getting in anyone's way. Ah, bliss!
Check out this list of UK gems
What to experience: Hot Air Balloons
A very different kind of wicker basket! This magical way to travel has been offering a sense of adventure for nearly two centuries - the first vehicle we learnt to fly in. They are a unique way to sight-see, and a mindful experience. A good lesson for just going with the flow and surrendering.
Bookable experience days are aplenty out there or you can just stumble across one on a day out. Suitable for children (7+, I believe) and adults including the elderly, where a standard level of fitness is required.
Did you know that the part of the balloon that holds the hot air/gas is called the envelope?
What honourable words:
Halcyon
Meaning calm and peaceful. It can refer to an idyllic time in the past that is remembered as better than today. I also love the ancient legend about a bird nesting at sea around the winter solstice and calming the waves.
Higgledy-piggledy
"In confusion or disorder." This is a great example of ‘reduplication’ (for forming new words by repetition of a base word often with a slight change of sound.) Another one is Helter-skelter. :-)
Hippocampus
The brain area associated with processing memories and emotions. I talk about it a lot with my clients, often imagining university buildings where hippos study!
Hysterical
To me, the word connotes the moment a cry becomes a laugh - an uncontrollable switching of spirits. Although portrayed negatively a lot, one of its definitions (the one I like most) is 'very funny.'
I hope the letter H is a harmonious haven in July.
Sunday 13th July, 8:30pm
I is for Ikigai, Inside Out & I Spy
This month’s Icon includes many ideas to indulge and inspire as we idly stroll into improved summer wellbeing.
What to find: Ikigai
That which gives your life worth, meaning, or purpose. A reason for being.
A lovely Japanese term with a few interpretations, but let’s go with the most direct: ‘alive’ (iki) ‘benefit’ (gai). It’s about finding fulfilment while contributing to the best interests of all. A huge topic but here are the key points feeding in:
People who find their ikigai appreciate the joy in small things. The secret to living a long and happy life.
What to watch: Inside Out/ Inside Out 2
For me, the wonderful blend of cute, clever and emotional could not portray 'anxiety' (and stress) any better in the more recent of the franchise. But both of these films tug at the heart strings, depicting the confusion and conflict of everyday thoughts and feelings. Each of these elements is important and we're shown how they can work together.
If you haven’t yet had the ‘joy’ of Inside Out, arm yourself with lots of tissues and prepare for endless nodding. I absolutely adore these films and I desire the same for you.
What to play: I Spy
Many of us remember this game from long journeys during childhood. A time before the internet was our constant entertainment provider. Which is funny considering its name could easily be written as i-Spy, and be an Apple product.
Not only can you play anywhere, at any time of year, with any number of people (minimum 2), it’s free. Importantly, it’s a mindfulness activity too. If we’re looking for things to choose on our turn or for correct guesses to score points, we’re paying more attention to the world around us. That’s a massive win.
What illuminating words:
Idiosyncrasy
Something peculiar to an individual - I love learning about these when I meet new people.
Iridescent
“Showing luminous colours that seem to change when seen from different angles.” Great definition by Oxford. Thank you!
Intergalactic
Science-y term (generally referred to in fiction) signifying things happening between galaxies.
Intuition
Lots of definitions – but the most fun and fancy are:
I hope the letter I ignites your imagination in June.
Friday 13th June, 4:00pm
J is for Jigsaws, Jokes & Jukeboxes
With the letter J comes a joyful return to things we can do instead of using fancy tech, or at least very little. Join me on a journey of re-discovering simple activities which have become a bit lost in the 21st century.
What to try: Jigsaw puzzles
Did you know jigsaw puzzles used to be called dissected puzzles? It was only after the jigsaw cutting tool was invented (1800s) that fancier shapes could be created for the pieces. Dating back to the 1760s these were first introduced by European mapmakers.
Puzzling (what a phrase!) might be fiddly and require patience to complete, but it's a great way to relax and reduce stress. Also to socialise - a team effort and chance to reconnect with your nearest and dearest. The largest number of people ever to solve a jigsaw puzzle is 9,569! However, they work solo too.
Our recent pandemic saw quite the increase in sales, and they've moved into the present day. Most pictures can be turned into puzzles too now, so if you've got any photos laying around you can put the pieces of yourself back together! :-)
Other benefits of putting two pieces to hundreds of thousands together.
What to write/make: Jokes
The oldest uses of humour with a punch line are thought to be around 4,000 years old. It wasn't long after, the bar joke was born. (A dog entered a tavern and said: “I can’t see a thing. I’ll open this one!”) Hhmm... I'm not sure if we're supposed to get it. I guess that's the thing with comedy, it can be very subjective.
There are many types of joke too. My favourites are anecdotal and farcical. I wonder what yours are?
We listen to them, make them and tolerate them all the time. When did you last tell a joke? At the moment of writing, mine was about twenty minutes ago, replying to friend's text whose cat is called Marmite. She said 'now sitting with marmite' and my response came 'did lunch get messy?' No matter how silly, cringeworthy or inappropriate, these cleverly worded bites can be irresistible.
What to engage with: Jukeboxes
These funky and colourful machines used to liven up social gatherings, symbolising a unique era of music and culture. They became popular in the 1940s but were around as early as the late 1800s. The first ones were coin-operated and only provided one song. Electronic jukeboxes allowed more options and genres.
Jukeboxes have been known by several names including Phonograph Jukes, Selectors, or the harder to pronounce, Rockola and Wurlitzer.
Many are still around, having been restored. Collectors take delight in embedding them in the digital age, or perhaps appreciating a bygone era. It's lovely to stumble across one and bask in the nostalgia. I found one in Reading a few summers ago. I wasn't alive in the glorious, oversized music player's heyday but their lingering presence allows a chance to experience a sound byte of that time.
If you're up for it, I challenge you to find the most vibrant and eclectic jukebox.
What jazzy words:
Jacuzzi
These bubbling baths of rest and healing have a wonderful brand name.
Jaunt
Definition: to go on a short journey for pleasure. It could just be a little walk into town but the phrase makes it sound like an adventure.
Jiffy
A very silly word (which for a while I thought wasn't real) for a short time, a moment.
Jolly
So many variations and meanings spanning adjective, verb and noun. In keeping with this month's theme, I choose the 'old fashioned' one. "Enjoyable, energetic, and entertaining."
I hope the letter J helps you to jiggle jubilant days in May.
Tuesday 13th May, 4:30pm
K is for Karaoke, Kindfulness & Kites
The letter K knits together a fun collection of 'little peaces' this month as the sunshine continues. So put the kettle on and expand on your kaleidoscope of knowledge.
What to try: Karaoke
Whether it be in the shower, the pub or a specialised private booth, this is an activity that not only gives our vocal chords a workout, but makes our hearts sing too. You might well be shaking your head at me right now – “Not in a million years Sarah. At least not before several alcoholic beverages anyway.” But you don’t need to have an audience to benefit from karaoke. In fact, some might argue it’s better if you don’t.
It's been proved that singing lowers our cortisol levels and releases feel good chemicals. If we make this a regular habit, improvements in posture, immunity and breathing capacity follow.
There are tonnes of videos on YouTube, apps and computer games. (I fondly remember working my way through the collection on PlayStation’s SingStar with my sister.) What’s your go-to power ballad? It’s probably there. If not, pop the song in question on whatever device you use for playing music and just sing along – you know the lyrics. But sometimes it’s wonderful to discover those weren’t actually the words you thought in the third verse after all.
What to read and practice: Kindfulness
In his book, Kindfulness Padraig O’Morain enlightens us about how mindfulness can help us with self-compassion so the two align. He reveals kindfulness as being made up of three components, adapted from Dr Kristin Neff’s definition of self-compassion.
Learn about how kindfulness can help us cope better with stress, recover from burnout (and avoid it!)
As you can see from the picture above, I’ve covered it in post-it notes. A true sign for me that this book is an essential read as it's full of absolute gems of useful tips.
What to make/fly/appreciate: Kites
There’s something very awe inspiring about watching a kite flying. They are always bright colours and interesting shapes. It must be a bit like creating your own bird. Hard to believe it’s not a breathing organism, the way it flaps, full of life, across the sky.
Who knew that kites have had so many uses over the 3,000 years they've been around. (Yes, you read that right.) Included in the list are: warding off evil, delivering messages, spying on enemies, measuring weather, discovering natural phenomena and my personal favourite - lifting passengers skyward. We're lucky (although perhaps that depends on your opinion) we now mainly fly kites for fun and to express ourselves.
My Best Kite offers good advice for both how to fly a kite and how to create your own if you fancy it.
What keen words:
Kerfuffle
Such a fun word for noisy, fussy activity. Kerfuffle itself sounds fussy.
Kinesis
A science-y term involving movement in response to a stimulus. I also love ‘Telekinesis’ moving objects and energy with our minds. The brain is a powerful beast so why wouldn’t this be a possibility?
Kitsch
I was first introduced to this idea in Film Studies as 'delightfully OTT and somewhat camp'. It might be thought to imply things that are cheap and lacking style by some but is highly entertaining for others.
Kooky
The dictionary defines kooky as “strange or unusual, especially in a way that is interesting.” What a great value to live by!
I hope the letter K provides the keys to your kingdom of calm in April.
Sunday 13th April, 11:00am
L is for Laughter Yoga, Lava Lamps & Leaf Rubbing Art
The letter L lets us into a lavish landscape in the first month of Spring, for your leisure and learning.
What to try: Laughter Yoga
In today’s challenging world, here’s another ‘natural’ resource for bringing joy into our lives and connecting with others in a hugely advantageous way. We don’t just need jokes or situational humour to bring on laughter.
On 13th March 1995, exactly 30 years ago today, Indian physician Dr Matan Kataria and his wife Madhuri held their very first ‘laughter club’ which started as 4 people telling jokes to each other. Laughter Yoga was born! It’s combination of specific breathing exercises, movement and initiated laughter is a playful, silly and highly contagious experience. Anyone can do it, no equipment necessary. Studies have proved our bodies can’t tell the difference between genuine and intentional bursts of merriment, so we get to benefit from both.
Giggling away to ourselves, and with our tribe, not only reduces stress and strengthens the immune system but also signifies to our brain that we’re safe.
What to admire: Lava Lamps
I always thought these were a 90s phenomenon but no… they’ve been around since the 1960s, enjoying a revival thirty years later. The lava lamp is a symbol of the psychedelic. It comes in the shape of a rocket and contains alien-like blobs of gunge which change in shape and mass due to the heat source underneath.
They're fascinating to watch, especially when the liquid suddenly drops. A true mindful activity. (It’s the simple things eh?) Lava lamps don’t give off a a lot of light but that's not their charm. It's being more lambent - creating ambience and a warm mood.
What to create: Leaf Rubbing Art
A throwback to my childhood and hopefully yours. The idea is to get a bit of paper, place on top of the leaf, or leaves, (there are still many rustling around), and simply rub over it with brightly coloured wax crayon. Or something with a similar texture. This is not just a tracing activity. The results are surprising and there’s somewhat of a nice veiny effect.
The picture above doesn’t do this justice so I encourage you to create your own.
What lovely words:
Lagoon
“An area of shallow water separated from the sea by low sandy dunes.” Sounds dreamy and fantastical. The Blue Lagoon in Iceland has been named one of the 25 wonders of the world. Its geothermal seawater isn’t found anywhere else on our planet and has skin-nourishing powers. Definitely on my bucket list!
Leitmotif
Fancy word for a recurrent theme associated with a situation, idea or person. This can be across music, literature or visual media.
Linguistics
The science of language! The word itself is beautiful. I love the ways we use language in order to convey meaning – if you hadn’t already guessed from these blog posts.
Luxurious
A pleasure of the senses. If we seek something luxurious, we want:
I hope the letter L laces your March with light and love.
Thursday 13th March, 8:13pm