Having been recently diagnosed with a manageable but ongoing health condition, I have been thinking more about relaxation and taking a bit better care of myself, not something that is unusual in the circumstances.

I know its all the rage to think about mindfulness and whatever the buzzword is this week for taking time to stop and just relax, it is not a new concept and if we dress is up in different clothes every now and then and more people take notice then why not.

So what new clothes will my relaxation take, what do I enjoy that takes me out of stressing and working, I can think of a few things.

Taking time to listen

I have always enjoyed taking the time to listen to music, interestingly since the resurgence of vinyl (and my hipsters embrace of it) the whole process has actually make music much more of an active rather than passive medium.  Taking the time to pick a record, putting it on the turntable, having to change sides is far more involved than clicking play on the streaming service of your choice.  When I play vinyl I often do it whilst actively listening and not sitting on my phone or working on something else, so I am actually taking the time to stop and listen.

Getting stuck in

I also like to bake, mainly bread but on occasion cakes and pastries,  there is something very cathartic in kneading dough by hand that really does clear the mind.  It can take me away from anything else I am worrying about or distract me from some technical or other work that I could be doing.

I can fully appreciate I now sound like a vinyl obsessed, artisan home baking hipster, granted I probably am, but maybe that is not all bad. I am just trying to find things that appeal to me and take me outside of my daily busy life.

So the upshot is I am going to take some time to try and relax, be it baking or listening to music or possibly writing more, (my watch blog has been languishing for some considerable time now so maybe writing is maybe not as easy as I would like to think) and hopefully worrying less and appreciating life a little more.  Who knows maybe there will be scented candles involved as well.

A picture of the vinyl of The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails, sat on top of it is the book Gennaro’s Italian Bakery and a record cleaning kit.
Records and baking, presents from Scarlet last Christmas, she knows what I like!