If you are looking to slow down the pace a little and live more mindfully, seasonal living has so much to offer you...
Ever since I lost my Mum in the summer of 2017, I have sought solace and simplicity in the natural world. If ever we are feeling a little lost, there is something deeply reassuring about nature's steadiness and its reliable rhythms. There is something comforting in knowing that after winter comes spring, and that after summer comes autumn. When we do not know what we can count on, we can always count on nature.
If you would like some tips on how to live life in sync with the seasons, I hope these five suggestions will inspire you...
Regularly spend time outdoors
Most days, I take myself out for a nature walk. It doesn't have to be an especially long walk. I find even a short and sweet 5-minute stroll around the neighbourhood is enough to lift my mood and make me feel brighter.
The key thing here is this: wherever you wander, wander mindfully. Really tune in with all your senses to the things happening around you, and to the changes in the natural world. What can you see, hear, and smell? What can you taste and touch? What can you sense and how do you feel?
Here in the UK, we are at the very end of summer, and just on the cusp of autumn - my favourite of all the seasons. On my walk today, I noticed how the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn gold, copper, and bronze. I heard the birdsong and the crunch of crisp leaves underfoot, and I could almost smell the change in the seasons. I picked up a leaf and twirled it between my fingers, really feeling the texture against my skin.
For me, getting outdoors ticks so many boxes: exercise, mindfulness, and a dose of nature. All things that do us so much good.
Even if we live in a city, which I did for most of my life, we still have abundant access to nature. We will surely find it if we look for it.
We all have a skyscape above us filled with singing birds, and I find it inspiring that nature always finds a way to grow. Just think of weeds - those resilient little plants that grow wherever they find themselves - and how they strive up through the cracks in the pavement or at the side of a railway.
Look around you and see what you find. Perhaps there is a tree at the bottom of your road, or a particular type of bird that nests in your street. Perhaps you can plan a visit to a local park or beach. Perhaps, if you can't get outside, you can simply look out of your window, tend to a pot plant, stroke a pet, read a nature book, look at nature photography and art, or play nature sounds.
And always remember this: you are part of nature and, as Carl Sagan once said, you are "made of star-stuff", so simply look within and marvel at the miracle of your existence on this beautiful blue planet.
2) Discover more about the wildlife and plants in your area
As I've got older, I've become increasingly interested in learning about the wild things that live alongside me. I've amassed quite a large collection of nature books to help me identify the plants, trees, animals, and insects that share my little corner of the world.
In my garden, there is a large old hebe bush, unkempt and unruly, and living within it is a family of house sparrows. It gives me so much pleasure to see them - and our resident robin redbreast - flitting about, watching the tiny fledglings learn to fly, and to see them peck sunflower hearts from the bird feeder I've put out for my feathered friends.
When my husband and I first moved in, I enjoyed discovering the names of all the plants and flowers growing in our garden: poppies, hydrangeas, French lavender, herb robert... and I would encourage you to spend a little time watching birds and identifying flowers in your garden or neighbourhood too, as I find it really helps to foster a sense of belonging. As you observe the life cycle of plants, and the migratory patterns of birds, it can help us to accept the cyclicality and changes in our own lives.
In addition to consulting reference books, I also use the Merlin Bird app, created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, to help me identify birds by sound or photo. There are also plant identification apps out there too, such as Leaf Snap. But the main thing is simply to have fun exploring your garden and local area and seeing what wonders you'll find.
3) Be inspired by ancient seasonal festivals
Our ancestors were way more connected to the natural world than many of us are today. From family history research, I know that my ancestors were predominantly of Celtic descent (mostly from Ireland and Wales), but with a splash of Viking too. My Mum and Dad were both very interested in all things ancestry, and since losing my Mum, I became even more interested in all things Celtic as a way to not only reconnect with her through her interests, but also as a way to reconnect with nature and myself.
The ancient Celts celebrated the seasons with four main festivals: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain, which mark, respectively, early Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The Celts, too, were famous animists, and as such believed nature was alive and had a soul, so by learning more about festivals such as these - or the seasonal festivals of your own ancestors - we can remember to tune in with the ever-changing year, and to celebrate those changes as we ourselves change.
4) Find out about local folklore and create your own mini-celebrations throughout the year
Folklore is fascinating, and every corner of the globe is rich with fabulous tales and festivals. You can find many good books about folklore, and I recommend looking into some local folktales from the area in which you live. Lia Leendertz's Almanac is a good place to start if you are looking to find out more about different celebrations held in the British Isles throughout the year, and when we know what they are and when, we can choose to create lots of mini-celebrations that help us to connect with the past and the present.
My husband and I do this and it punctuates the year with lots of lovely little moments, elevating each season with a celebratory feel. For example, the 21st October is Apple Day. Created in the 1990s, it's a day to celebrate our apples and orchards. Perhaps you could create a mini apple-themed celebration on this day, and visit an orchard or read some apple-inspired stories or poems - or simply bake a delicious apple crumble with lashings of custard! Folklore is not just something from the past. It is actively being created all the time in the traditions and stories within our own friends, families, and communities - and the things we do today may well be passed down to future generations.
5) Seek out seasonal places to visit
Tune into the scope and variety that nature has to offer you by visiting some wonderful places throughout the seasons.
Perhaps plan to visit a park filled with snowdrops in wintertime, or a woodland lushly carpeted with bluebells in spring.
Consider visiting a pumpkin patch in autumn or a sunflower field in summer.
Or why not visit the same spot in every season and notice the changes?
I have a few favourite 'sit spots' that I like to go to often, where I will simply sit and soak up the atmosphere, noticing how different it looks and feels as the year turns.
And even if we just poke our noses out of our window, each new day will have something fresh and wonderful to show us if only we look for it.