I spend increasingly less time, not merely on a laptop but also on any electronic device. Long gone are the days of scrolling on social media or doom-scrolling the latest news, which was probably done out of anxiety more than anything else. Experiences are so much more liberating when one can step out of fear.
Following my daily fix of hot water and lemon, I have breakfast – usually natural bio-yoghurt with fruit, porridge or sometimes eggs. I spend time in the kitchen every day either prepping meals or tidying up and doing the daily chores. I also do admin work for myself and Dan, who is a piano tuner-technician. If Dan has left for work very early I will feed the cats before I do anything else at all, and after 30 minutes administer our in-remission-diabetic kitty Merlin his insulin shot.
I spend some time every day in our garden, where we grow our own organic fruit and vegetables. We have overwintered veggies for a couple of years now but this is the first year where we will be growing our own produce all-year-round as food prices continue to rise here in the UK, as they are everywhere else. Gardening and being outdoors is so beneficial to my general wellbeing and mental health, especially throughout autumn and winter; I suffer from SAD and am doing my utmost to deal with it by the most natural methods I can.
I play the piano and also compose ambient music (I still notate by hand, though have recently purchased Sibelius), though I haven’t written anything new for a little while now as I haven’t necessarily been in the right headspace and often need to juggle a busy life, but I usually do piano practice most days.
Two or three days a week I do crafting – jewellery-making, candle-making or sewing – for an hour or two and the items I either list in my own webstore or in my Etsy shop or put in one of my two outlets. I am also a YouTube content creator and although my channels are very small, I produce one or two videos every week for both channels and I edit Dan’s content for his channel too. He normally uploads one video a week as well as shorts.
I do enjoy getting out and about and go for a good walk a few times a week though I try to go out every day, even if it’s just a 15 or 20 minute walk into Ramsgate or Broadstairs to shop for groceries. I like to support small local businesses and buy from the greengrocer, fishmonger, butcher and baker, even if the prices are a little higher than in the supermarkets. We also have a doorstep delivery of dairy once a week and every two months we have a delivery of raw milk products from Fen Farm Dairy, who are based in Suffolk.
These are just some of the things I do in a normal day!
What, though I ask you, does your day look like? Do let me know!
Catherine
Catherine Evans 