Sunday (not-so) scaries - Sept 8

A list of things to make you feel a little better this week.

Hello, hello! This edition of the Sunday (not-so) scaries is being typed out after a gym class and Big Food Shop at Tesco. I’m with a questionable cup of coffee looking like a Troll Doll reject, purple-pink hair desperately scraped into what I can only describe as a bad top-knot. I’ve just finished reading

Emma Gannon

’s piece on how she makes time to write, so I’ve taken that as the push I needed to steal a bit of time to write.

Why not go home, and go to a nice independent cafe? Well, dear reader, I know that the moment I get home I’m going to walk the dog, get showered, wash my hair, dry my hair, do my skincare, and then probably tidy. Oh, and the laundry—always the laundry. The joys of entry-level adulthood are seemingly endless. Tesco cafe it is. Let’s do it.

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Things to make you feel a bit better this week

— Go outside and move your body. It doesn’t matter if you break a sweat; just put some comfy trainers on (together with other suitable clothes, I’m not trying to get you arrested) and enjoy the fact that your body can carry you and you can feel sun on your skin.

— These photos of my new cats, Elvis (the big one) and Basil (the little terror). I am both allergic to and obsessed with these babies. We adopted them from a wonderful community group called Cat Crackers. The volunteers there do some really amazing work finding, caring for, and rehoming cats so do check them out if you’re considering adding 50% more chaos to your life.

— Change your bedding. Enjoy the simple pleasure of sliding into crisp, fresh sheets after a bath. Herbal tea on your bedside table, latest read in your hands. Yum.

— Read an Elena Ferrante book. Hell, read the entire quartet if you can. The first one in the Neapolitan series is called My Brilliant Friend and it had me hooked. The fact I was reading it on a solo Italian holiday just after lockdown kind of helped. Elena with a side of espresso and a cheeky breakfast cornetto with Nutella in it? Sì, grazie.

— Take the time to brew a nice coffee. A proper one, not the instant stuff we use during the week because it’s less about enjoyment and more about finding a way to drag your body through the day.

— Do some crafts. Crucially, do some crafts, or anything creative, without putting pressure on yourself to get it right the first time. You’re not trying to create an Etsy shop. You’re just trying to relax and enjoy the act of making. I think I’m going to work on a little cross-stitch today.

— Listen to nostalgic music. You know the songs. The ones you obsessively listened to in your teens, and briefly felt were a ‘guilty pleasure’ because someone somewhere decided to tell you they were lame. For me, it’s a mix up: My Chemical Romance, Avril Lavigne, Lady Gaga, The Eagles, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera in its entirety. GIMME.

— Make time to write. You don’t have to be a ‘writer’ to write; grab an A4 pad, or a cute journal, and take the time to write whatever comes to mind. You might end up making a list of stuff, or things you need to do. You might discover you really like journalling, and feel better for it in terms of your mental health. You might write a short story. The possibilities are endless when you pick up a pen (or open a Google Doc).

— Just slow the f*ck down. You heard me. Embrace a weekend of no plans. Hell, book a day off work to do nothing. Have a lie-in. Take the time to make and drink a nice coffee, with a good breakfast. Go for a walk and breathe the fresh air, laced with the promise of autumn. Sit somewhere cosy and read that book you’ve been trying to finish for weeks. Stop rushing around. Very few things in life are that urgent.

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That’s a wrap! I’m pretty excited about the week ahead—parents are visiting, I’m making progress on my wedding prep, and I might be getting some tattoos on Friday. Not bad. What are you excited about? I want to know!