Autumn Reset

What is an Autumn Reset?

The minute the heat of the summer dies down and the light drops to a more autumnal glow, I usually feel the urge to do a kind of Autumn Reset.

I like to take stock of the year so far, work out if there’s anything that I’d like to stop doing to make space for stuff that I do want to do and create a list of the kinds of things I’d like to invite into my life during the autumn and winter months.

This doesn’t have to be a hard and fast to-do list to get stressed out about. It is simply an indication of the things I’d like to explore further. Sometimes I have to permit myself to try something new, or to stop doing something that no longer sparks joy!

If you fancy doing an autumn reset, here are some things you could consider.

Autumn Reset image of a journal and a cuppa on a pretty background

Learning something new (or improving something you’re already doing)

Maybe you want to learn a new language, or take up art. Or learn to play a new instrument, or to dust off one that you’ve already got stashed in a cupboard somewhere.

Maybe you want to make a start on that book, or blog that you always talk about starting.

Or to write songs, create a YouTube or TikTok account and make some videos.

It could be to take up Yoga or Pilates or to join a Zumba or strength-building class.

Or it could be simply to tackle the pile of books you’ve bought but never quite found time to read.

Autumn Reset image of a starry night sky and trees to illustrate stargazing

Delving deeper into your spirituality.

This could be something as simple as looking for signs of something bigger than yourself (the wonder of the changing seasons, seeing stars shining brightly on a dark night), finding a new place of worship, or even prioritising deep rest. Or you could create a meditation area or quiet corner so you can simply sit in silence for a while.

Autumn Reset image of a castle by the sea

Make a list!

Create a list of events you’d like to explore, be it concerts or workshops, films or plays, new coastal areas you’d like to explore, shops or restaurants that you’d like to visit, and any city breaks you’d like to book or any mini adventures you’d like to go on! Book tickets.

autumn reset prune anything that no longer sparks joy in your life, image of a rail of clothes

Prune your life!

Is there anything you need to let go of in order to make space for having an enjoyable autumn?

Sometimes we need to make space for the stuff we do want to include more of by getting rid of ‘dead wood’ out of our lives. This may include getting rid of commitments that no longer spark joy, creating systems that work and save time (so you have more time to do the things you love doing), employing a cleaner, buying a dishwasher (so that you’re not spending time on boring tasks when you could be doing something nice!)

As you pack away your summer clothes, consider if any of them need to be sold on Vinted, donated to a charity shop or popped in the bin if they’re unsalvageable. This should free up space in your wardrobe for things you love so you spend less time each morning ploughing through a heap of clothes and less time washing and ironing them!

Anglo Doorstep Collections will collect bags, clothes, accessories, electricals, shoes, boots, books, and bric-a-brac without you having to take it anywhere. Go to https://anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/ to book your slot

autumn reset hygge image of cosy autumnal scene with a candle and a fire and a pumpkin

Introduce a little hygge into your life

If you’ve not heard of Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga or hou-gah) let me explain. It’s the Danish art of cosy simplicity where you spend the cooler winter months enjoying simple pleasures like freshly baked cookies, soothing hot chocolates, with candles lit, fairy lights twinkling, maybe a warm blanket, a good book, good friends, board games, snuggly jumpers, cosy socks, and informal suppers cooked with your friends. It brings light and hope into the darker days, and is based on the simple pleasures of life.

There are lots of books available on the subject https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/sarahcooper you can find some of them by clicking this link. Any purchases made will give me a small commission fee.

Creativity for beginners : How to be more creative

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Do you wish you were more creative?

If you would like to be more creative but have no clue where to start, read on!

First, you need to allow yourself to play. Play and creativity are pretty much the same thing. Play is an exploration of what will happen if… and so is creativity!

I’ve heard a lot of folk tell me that they’re not creative. Which in my world is the same as saying ‘I am rubbish at playing ’, and we all know that is nonsense, right?!

creative image of a clock on an orange background

But I don’t have time to be creative?

Firstly, I would like to ask you if that is really true? I know that I tell myself and anyone else who will listen that I ‘don’t have time’ to be creative. But then I realise that I am on season 8 of my favourite tv show (no mean feat given most series of said show have 24 episodes each). So clearly time isn’t the issue!

Often you can fit in snippets of time to be creative (in fact you may have to be creative with your time management to manage being creative!)

Try taking your notebook with you when you go to the dentist and do some writing whilst you wait. Or ringfence time in your diary for being creative, putting one afternoon or one morning or even a couple of hours if you can’t manage that. Mark yourself as busy and don’t let anyone distract you from your creative pursuits

Do I need to do a course, or research how to do things properly?

Generally speaking, no, unless you really want to. Most things can be learnt by experimentation. Unless you want to get good at things quickly, I wouldn’t bother. Often courses take away the creative process and leave you with something that’s someone else’s idea of good. I firmly believe it’s time to rip up the rulebook, put red, orange and pink together and experiment with what does and what doesn’t work!

creative image of an art studio in a bright and airy room with a painting of a sunset on the easel

What if I’m wasting my time?

It’s a good idea to let go of the idea that what you do has to be good in some way. The whole point of being creative is to let go of the need for perfection and success. It doesn’t have to be good; it doesn’t have to make you a zillion quid.

It is all about playing, in the same way as you probably played with Lego as a kid, stacking bricks one on top of the other just for the sake of it, or how you’d kick about a ball just for the sake of that too. Just enjoy the process without focusing on a specific measurable outcome.

The other important thing to note is that when you get creative, you may find your brain starts to unwind a little, and it is often then that you have an amazing a-ha moment where you come up with some kind of solution about a problem that had been living rent-free in your head. You may also find yourself starting to breathe a bit deeper, smile a bit more, and the tension in your shoulders starts to ease off

Stock up!

Next, I would pop to a good stationery shop (or if you’re lucky, a supermarket with an extensive back-to-school stationery range!) and buy a hard-backed sketchbook or hard-backed watercolour book

If you’re mainly going to be using it at home, you could buy an A4 or an A3 sized one, but if you’re planning on carrying it in your bag or keeping it in your car or caravan, you may prefer an A5 or A6 sized one.

I’d also get at least one notebook suitable for writing in. It’s up to you whether you prefer plain, lined, or squared paper.

Buy nice pens (if you don’t already have some) and maybe a glue stick. You could treat yourself to some watercolour or acrylic paints, colourful pens, and stickers. Whatever makes your heart sing. I often use a ‘proper’ ink pen when I am being creative; somehow it helps the flow.

Good places for stationery include: https://www.afth.co.uk/ and https://cultpens.com/

If you fancy doing something like jewellery-making, sewing or knitting, you may need to visit the cone exchange (term time only) or ask friends if they’re destashing anything.

creative image of brightly coloured paint brushes of varying sizes on a painted background

What can I do to be more creative?

You could
Write a poem
Write a short story, blog post, magazine article or blog
Write a letter to someone
Write a song or song lyrics
Paint or draw a picture
Take your sketchbook to your favourite place and draw
Write a travel guide or travel blog giving expert tips on travelling
Teach someone to do something on YouTube or TikTok
Get some Fimo or air-dry clay and make something
Upcycle some furniture
Customise clothes or make your own clothes
Crochet or knit something
Make something for someone as a gift
Make a showstopper cake
Make jam, marmalade or chutney
Do something funny

creative image of a book of poety with leaves in the background and a love heart

Where can I start?

Take the first line of a poem and write a new poem from it
Pick a book from your bookshelf and go to page 27 and look at line 9; use that as a starting point for your own writing
Use random objects as starting points: a postcard, a toy, a clock, a photograph, a whisk from the kitchen, who cares? Pick something!
Choose colours that go with your sitting room and paint a big canvas for the wall to tie everything together
Pick a new recipe or try to recreate something you ate at a restaurant by guessing the ingredients
Watch tutorials on TikTok and YouTube for creative ways to ake photos using your phone and try some of those ideas

Sunday Reset: Easy ways to set yourself up for the week ahead

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Sunday Reset? What’s that?

A Sunday reset is a combination of housekeeping, life admin and self-care. Where you look at your week ahead and get organised so that instead of scrabbling through your week, you simply glide through it. It also involves a quick tidy-up so when you come back from work on Monday, the house doesn’t look a mess, and so you can simply cook dinner and relax.

Do I HAVE to do it on a Sunday? Well no, you don’t, it can be done on any other day of the week (and be called a weekly reset), but Sundays seem to be the most popular day to do it. Especially Sunday evenings when you’re gearing up for the week ahead.

Why should I do a Sunday reset?

It reduces weekday stress, allowing you to be more focused throughout the week and saves you time so you can prioritise other things like meeting friends, relaxing or improving your fitness. By doing a Sunday reset, you will look more put together, feel calmer and hopefully have more free time to do the things you love.

Sunday Reset Diary image of diary with colourful post notes and annotations to illustrate sunday reset

Diary Time!

Firstly, get your diary out and see what is happening over the coming week. Are there any evenings when you need a quick dinner, a day when you need packed lunches for work or any bake sales at school or church, or anything else you need to ‘do something’ for? Do you have a book to read for book club? Or a hostess gift to take to a party? Any day trips or nights out? Any bills that need to be paid, or any appointments that need to be booked? Make a list.

Plan downtime into your diary

Planning fun takes the fun out of fun, but if you don’t put time to one side for chilling out, doing things you love, having a swim, meeting friends, being creative, doing art etc you will find the rest of the week passes as a blur and you will have filled it with rubbish on the telly, doom scrolling on your phone and doing boring chores. Check the pool opening times or when your friends are free and get it booked in!

Sunday reset image of online grocery shopping to illustrate sunday reset

Meal plan.

Check your fridge and freezer and note what you already have in stock that you could potentially use for meals this week. Discard that wilted cucumber that’s lurking in your fridge drawer and that bag of spinach that you bought but didn’t use! Give the fridge a quick wipe and tidy so you can clearly see what you have available.

Once you’ve worked out whether you need any speedy dinners or packed lunches for work, make a rough meal plan. You don’t need to set it in stone; it can be changed, but if you have an idea of what you want to eat during the coming week, you can make a list and then either pop to the supermarket or do an online grocery order. These days you should be able to book a slot that works for your schedule!

If you find mornings are a rush, make your breakfast ahead of time. Overnight oats are popular these days and can be prepared the night before to make mornings quicker. Pasta salads and soups can also be prepped in advance and make great quick lunches when time or energy is limited! If you deliberately make leftovers you can have them for lunch the next day.

https://www.mamacoopskitchen.co.uk/pot-luck-salad-recipe/

https://www.mamacoopskitchen.co.uk/how-to-meal-plan/

Sunday reset image of a blonde haired lady sorting out her outfits for the week

Work out what you’re wearing for the week.

Do at least one load of laundry, ensure you have enough clean pants and socks for the week (and shirts or workwear or school uniform if applicable).

Sort your clothes into full outfits so you can simply pull them out of the wardrobe and go without having to waste time trying to decide what to wear.

If you have a gym session, a swim planned or a yoga class, get your kit ready to go.

Reset your living space

Change your bed sheets. Clean your bedroom, give the bathroom a quick going over.

Put the house to bed with a simple wind-down routine, fluff up the cushions, reset the throws, and quickly wipe over the coffee table.

Make sure any washing up is done, the kitchen sink is clean and tidy, and the kitchen floor is swept and mopped.

Sunday reset everything shower image of a bathroom

Have an everything shower

Shampoo and condition your hair, do your nails, take care of any personal grooming you need to do (shave your legs, that kind of thing). If you look good, you tend to feel good too.

Top tip: Always have a charity shop bag in your wardrobe. As you put your clothes away, look for anything that you don’t enjoy wearing and put it in the bag. Once full, take to the local charity shop or sell on online platforms like eBay or Vinted

Put out what you need for tomorrow, tonight.

Find your car keys, your phone, your work bag, your shoes and anything else you may need and get it all put in a pile ready to go. This means you’re not having to rush in the morning.

Go to bed at your usual time (don’t have an early night as it will throw off your sleep schedule)

What if everything works out ok?

Reflections

Have you ever considered what if everything works out ok?

Now I don’t know about you, but I spend at least half my life worrying about things that never actually happen. I can conjure up a whole host of possibilities in which the ending of the story is anything but happy, but I rarely imagine that things are going to work out beautifully.

I guess it is a form of self-protection. If I think the job isn’t going to end well or (we’re not going to get picked in the first place), the test is impossible to pass, the relationship could never work out, the lottery numbers are never gonna be the ones I’d picked and the answer to every reasonable request was gonna be no, I can keep myself safe from pain, rejection, failure and, conversely, success.

Now you may think the last comment is a bit weird, but let me explain. Many years ago, my friend’s husband used to (in his words) shuffle to Spar in his slippers. He lived about 2 doors down from Spar so it really wasn’t worth him putting shoes on to go to Spar. It occurred to me that if I got really famous, I mean JK Rowling famous, or Victoria Beckham famous, I wouldn’t be able to surreptitiously slope off to Spar in my slippers. Don’t get me wrong, I have NEVER, ever shuffled to Spar in my slippers, so why this is important to me is as much of a baffle to me as it is to the rest of the world. But I want to be free to do what I want to do without being in the spotlight of the media. I don’t want headlines of ‘Sarah Cooper seen shuffling to Spar in her slippers’(I think this worry came from the time when Princess Diana sneezed twice and ended up as front page news as she was clearly dying of the flu or something when in reality she had just sneezed. Twice.

I like the fact that I am able to go about my daily business without people really bothering to notice. And with success comes responsibility. I don’t much like responsibility and tend to quiver at the very thought of being the sole responsible adult at any given point.

what if everything works out ok, image of white silouhette with lightbulb on a background of question marks with a man looking at it to illustrate what if everything works out ok

Why don’t we consider that everything could work out ok?

Why do we think everything is destined for failure? We may get that job, that house, that big win on the lottery, that relationship may turn out to be exactly what our soul needed, and is actually safe.

I suppose it doesn’t help if you’ve had parents who were very keen on wrapping you in cotton wool so you didn’t hurt yourself. I wasn’t encouraged to reach for the stars; I was encouraged to stay small, and unless an opportunity was handed to me on a plate, I was discouraged from reaching out in case it all went wrong and I’d fail.

I learnt to be afraid of failure, and I learnt to be wary of trying things in case it went wrong, to the point I didn’t do anything unless success was guaranteed. I started to wait to be asked to apply for things. Rather than reaching out for what I wanted. Life ended up being a bit like a board game at high school, whereby you either got 100% or you fell through the hole in the board. It felt like life had to have a 100% pass rate, or you’d have failed. Like the whole of life was pass/fail, not explore, reassess, reboot.

Recently, I have realised that failure isn’t a thing; you either succeed or you have data to work with. This is a much more sensible attitude to take. If the first thing we try doesn’t work, we could simply go back to the drawing board, so to speak and try again.

What helps with loss of libido in perimenopause and menopause?

Health and Wellbeing

What causes loss of libido?

Many women going through perimenopause and menopause report that their libido or sex drive has decreased dramatically and wonder what they can do to get it back.

Several things can cause loss of libido, including lack of oestrogen and/or testosterone, pain, dryness, vaginal atrophy, having too many things on your to-do list, feeling unattractive, not wanting to connect your energy to your partner, tiredness and general lack of intimacy.

The good news is that there are lots of things you can do to boost your libido and to regain a sense of intimacy with your partner.

Loss of libido in menopause image of a couple in bed

Physical Reasons for loss of libido in menopause and perimenopause

If you are suffering from vaginal dryness, atrophy, soreness, or have very delicate skin on your vulva, you may find that intimacy becomes a challenge. Using a good lubricant like Yes lube can be helpful, as can having a lot of foreplay before you attempt anything more intimate.

Consider speaking to your GP or menopause clinic about having vaginal oestrogen. This replaces the lost oestrogen in a localised, non-systemic way. It comes in a variety of forms, including a cream, pessary and vaginal ring.

Vaginal oestrogen is also reported to help with nighttime loo trips and other bladder issues, so if you’re waking up at 3 am to pop to the loo, vaginal oestrogen may be worth exploring.

Pilates can also help if you suffer from bladder issues by strengthening the core muscles and pelvic floor.

When testosterone levels drop, it can reduce the physical sensations you experience, so you may not experience physical pleasure in the same way as before. It can also lead to reduced dopamine, which is also linked to pleasure, so your pleasure centres aren’t as activated as they would be with full testosterone.

Testosterone can also help with brain fog, mood and energy levels. Speak to your GP or menopause clinic re testosterone. It should be noted that not everyone who has low libido needs testosterone, but it can be helpful in some cases.

Loss of libido in menopause. image of couple kissing

Time constraints/ Tiredness/ Too much on the to-do list/ Stress

Many women are juggling a career, a home, a partner, raising children/ teenagers, and caring for elderly relatives, which can leave you feeling exhausted, and the last thing on your mind is getting jiggy with it!

If you are very tired, try moving any bedroom activities to the daytime (children, teenagers, and grandparents permitting). Let go of anything you don’t absolutely need to do.

Being intimate can be wonderfully calming and relaxing if done when you’re both in the mood and not worn out by life. You may have to schedule it into your diary like a meeting! Stress can also have a big impact on libido.

Feeling unattractive

If you’re struggling to accept yourself for the way your body has changed over the years (especially if you’ve gained or lost a lot of weight, your boobs have headed south, and you worry you need big pants to hold your tummy in), you may find yourself less inclined to want to do the deed.

It’s really helpful to stop fighting with the way you look. Look at your body naked in a full-length mirror and notice how it looks.

Accept the fullness, the scars, the little dings from a life well lived and see them as part of your story.

Repeat this exercise until you can look at yourself in a full-length mirror without feeling bad. You ARE still attractive.

It can help to buy some nice, well-fitting, supportive lingerie.

You can check your potential bra size at https://www.booborbust.com using their bra size calculator. Take their suggestion as a starting point; you may need to go up or down a back or cup size, but it is a good place to start.

Treat yourself to some nice knickers, not the horrible tuck-it-all-in ones, but some pretty, cotton, lacy ones that are comfortable and pretty.

Also book yourself in for a good haircut, a manicure and/or pedicure, and a lip and chin wax if you need one!

See yourself growing into a golden goddess, not shrivelling up into an old crone

Wear statement pieces to accentuate your good points.

Remember that your partner may also be worried about how he/she looks and may need reassurance that you find them attractive. They will also have had changes to the way their body looks/works, too and may be feeling equally upset, worrying if YOU think they’re attractive!

loss of libido annoying man. image of woman upset by man

Not wanting to exchange energy with him as he’s so annoying

Look for the person you first fell in love with, he is in there somewhere. Try to put to one side petty irritations – it can be possible to get so het up by the fact he didn’t put the bin out or didn’t feed the cat or doesn’t really understand what you’re going through that you end up not wanting to connect your energy to his, which is totally understandable.

Try going for a long walk together and addressing how you’re feeling in a non-critical way. You may need to be very blunt about the help you need from him. You may benefit from couples counselling if you’re really struggling.

https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/what-therapy-can-help-with/relationships/couples-counselling/

loss of libido rebuilding intimacy, couple in bed on cosy brown background

Regaining Intimacy

If you don’t currently hug and kiss your partner when you see them, try starting that again. Or gently squeeze their arm as you go past, or give them a heartfelt hug. Little light touches mean that you’re not making a massive leap between daily life and the bedroom.

Aim for true intimacy, not like in films!

Half the problem with intimacy is that we see things in films that involve a lot of removing clothes in hallways and not much actual intimacy.

Take your time. Cuddle. Discover what feels good for each other, and guide each other’s hands where you want them to go. Kiss. A lot. Take turns in focusing on what gives you pleasure and what does nothing for you at all. Do everything slowly and with intent. Take away the need to perform and the need for the grand finale (if it happens, it happens!) Just enjoy being in each other’s company again and make it your aim to rebuild your connection.

Join Menopause Support UK Facebook Group

If you would like to speak to others also going through the perimenopause and menopause, please join the Menopause Support UK Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/menopausesupportuk

Unlocking the Secrets of Vetiver Essential Oil: Benefits & Uses

Aromatherapy

Vetiver essential oil has a deep, smoky aroma with rich woody undertones. It has an almost earthy aroma, like damp soil. Vetiver is often referred to as the ‘oil of tranquillity’ due to its deep, calming effects.

Common Uses of Vetiver Essential Oil

Vetiver is commonly used in products designed to help you sleep, including pillow sprays and scented candles, and in night-time massage blends. It is also used as a fixative in perfumes and aftershaves, as well as being useful in adding a depth of aroma to massage blends and perfumes.

vetiver essential oil, image of a map of the world on a bluie background

What is vetiver, and where does it come from?

Vetiver (sometimes called Kus-Kus grass) is a tall, perennial grass commonly found in tropical places with a good level of rainfall, including Brazil, Java, Southern India, Haiti, Indonesia and Malaysia. The grass itself is often used to thatch the roofs of houses or for mats etc.

Which part of the vetiver plant is used in making essential oil?

It is mainly the roots and rootlets or rhizomes of the plant that are used to make the essential oil.

How is vetiver essential oil made?

The roots and rootlets are washed, dried and chopped before being distilled into a thick deep amber coloured liquid, or the roots are soaked and boiled.

What are the benefits of vetiver essential oil?

Relieves stress and tension, calming

Vetiver is great for calming the nerves and restoring a sense of tranquillity.

Useful for relieving stress and tension, helping you to feel more grounded and helps bring you back into a state of balance if you’re feeling a little out of sorts.

It can help reduce panic attacks and anxiety, restoring emotional balance. It is also good for diffusing anger.

Relaxes, restores tired minds and overworked bodies

If you’re struggling to relax, vetiver may help as it can be relaxing and restorative for tired minds and overworked bodies.

vetiver essential oil can be used to ease sore muscles image of a woman rubbing her neck

Soothes sore muscles, eases rheumatism and arthritis

It has a soothing effect on muscles, easing muscle tension and helping with pains and stiffness.

Thought to be useful for easing arthritis and rheumatism.

Vetiver has a gently warming effect on muscles and is also thought to increase blood flow.

vetiver essential oil is an aphrodisiac Image of a woman holding a love heart on a pink background

Good for libido, aphrodisiac

It can be useful for reproductive issues and can be used to ease sexual matters, it is also thought to be an aphrodisiac so can be helpful with problems of low libido. Especially useful when either partner is exhausted or feeling stressed, or when anxiety is causing issues in the bedroom.

vetiver essential oil helps with sleep image of a woman in pink pjs on a sky background with a sleep mask

Improves sleep

Vetiver is great for restoring good sleep patterns and encourages deep restful sleep, allowing you to wake feeling refreshed and ready to start the day.

vetiver essential oil helps with scars image of a scar covered up with a plaster on skin

Good for the skin, helps reduce scars and stretch marks

Vetiver is good for the skin and can help wounds heal, as it has astringent properties (helping to close open pores) so is good for oily and combination skin.

It can also help reduce the appearance of scars, stretch marks and burns. It also has antiseptic properties, making it good for treating wounds, cuts and grazes. May be helpful for acne.

Ways to use Vetiver essential oil

In a massage blend

You can use it in massage, add 2-3 drops to 30 mils of carrier oil such as olive oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower oil etc and massage in.

vetiver essential oil can be used in the bath image of a woman soaking in a big free standing bath by a window

In your bath

Add no more than 4-6 drops in total to 15 mls of oil and mix well, stir into your bath and soak for 20 minutes. Add a couple of handfuls of epsom salts to your bath and stir well.

Word of warning!

Please DO NOT just chuck a few drops of oil straight in your bath as it then tends to just sit on the surface of the water, always dilute it first with some carrier oil or a specially designed fragrance-free create your own style bath product.

In a diffuser

In a diffuser. Add 2 drops of vetiver essential oil and 2 drops of orange oil into your diffuser along with the required amount of water and diffuse intermittently throughout the day.

What does Vetiver blend well with?

Vetiver works brilliantly with

sweet orange,
lavender,
frankincense,
geranium,
patchouli,
rose,
sandalwood,
ylang ylang,
clary sage,
cedarwood,
jasmine,
ginger,
lemon,
bergamot
grapefruit.

Contraindications / Safety Precautions

Vetiver is a very safe oil if used correctly. You may wish to avoid this during pregnancy. Vetiver must always be diluted if used on the skin.

Where to buy vetiver

https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/sjcooper/product/2155L/vetiver-organic-essential-oil-10ml-with-leaflet Please note I will get a small commission from any sales via this link.

About Vetiver Essential Oil

Botanical Name: Vetiveria Zizanioides

Method of Extraction: Steam Distillation,or boiling.

Note: Base

Plant Family: Gramineae

Aroma Notes: Smoky, Deep, Grounding, Earthy, Woody. Calming

Chemical Constituents

Veitver is made up of Benzoic (acid), Vetiverol (Alcohol), Furfurol (Aldehyde), Vetivone (Ketone), and Vetivene (Sesquiterpene)

7 Useful Things I’ve learned this year

Reflections

7 Useful things I’ve learned this year

Here are 7 useful things I’ve learned this year so far that I’d like to share with you. Please let me know in the comments below what YOU’VE learned so far this year!

We set our own limits

Have you ever thought of doing something but talked yourself out of it? Or labelled yourself as not a writer, not an artist, not a musician, not good with this or that, and then behaved as if that was actually true?

I know that I have a lot over my life. But this kind of thinking holds us back and limits what we can achieve. You don’t NEED to be an artist to pick up a paintbrush and play at making marks on the page. You don’t need to be a musician to pick up an instrument and bash out a tune on it. You don’t need to be a Michelin-starred chef in order to choose a new recipe and have a go.

We can also inadvertently create limits on what we achieve and what we reach out for simply by believing that what we crave or need isn’t possible. Some of the things we want or need may not be practical or easy to get. But other people have achieved the things we want to achieve..

I would love to write a book, but often think it would be impossible, then I go for a mooch around Waterstones and see that the whole shop is full of books by people who proved to themselves that it IS possible. So I am absolutely wrong, it is possible for me to write a book and have it sat on the table in Waterstones, although it may not be as easy as my childhood fantasy of writing a book in one sitting, pressing print and getting a zillion pounds put in my bank account as if by magic.

It’s ok not to fit in ‘the box’

For years I have been beating myself up metaphorically for not fitting into the same kind of box as other people do. For me, working 9-5 Monday – Friday is an absolute no-no.

That doesn’t mean I won’t work, as often I am still at work at 9.30 or 10 o’clock at night, but do I want to work 40 solid hours in an office? No, no I don’t! Other aspects of my life don’t fit in the box either. And that’s ok.

I’ve realised that I don’t need to fit myself into the same kind of box that fits other people, I just need to find a Sarah-shaped box and be happy that I’m not like everyone else. I like nothing more than working odd hours so I can slope off to lunch with a friend midweek.

image of some autumn coloured wool on knitting needles on a pink background

You hold the permission slip

Sometimes you need to allow yourself to book in for that reflexology treatment, that manicure you’ve been putting off, that holiday of your dreams, that midweek cinema trip all on your own (have you tried it? It’s magical!)

Sometimes you need to give yourself a morning off. The other week, my car was in the garage having its MOT, and so I was stuck at home all day.

Instead of running around catching up with all the boring jobs I had on my list. I gifted myself a whole morning of ‘play time’ (you know how primary schools used to let you play in the afternoons if you’d been good? Yes that!) It was blissful! I did some writing, caught up with my journaling, made a big pot of soup slowly, made some flapjack and drank several pots of tea. Read some of my book, had a nap. By the time I got my car back I was a whole new person!

How to be more goddess like set fragrance

You set your own price tag.

How people see you, how they treat you, and how respectful they are of you is more often than not in the first instance set out by you.

If you dress well, look smart and have that air of approachability mixed with a little don’t mess with me, mate you’re likely to get treated with more respect and care than you would if you look thrown together and if you allow yourself to be spoken to in a disrespectful way.

It can be hard to set boundaries if you’ve not had much experience of setting them, but it can massively help with how other people perceive you and at the end of the day how they treat you too.

Having boundaries is important as it keeps you safe, and also sends out a clear message to the other person that you will not be treated with disrespect and that you absolutely are worth treating with kindness and respect. How much money you make can also be dictated by this.

image of a woman with her hand up showing that she is assertive to illustrate how to be a goddess

The power of saying no

For years I have struggled to say no, even when my heart has been screaming no no absolutely not! But recently I have learnt that no is a complete sentence. You don’t have to explain why you can’t help someone with something.

In fact offering an excuse can cause problems. Many years ago my daughters got invited to go somewhere. They didn’t want to go, but instead of saying ‘no, that’s not for me’ they gave a raft of excuses.

Every excuse was met with a solution to the problem. NO is so powerful. Use it as a complete sentence and move on.

My top tip is if someone asks you if you’re free on Friday, before you answer, ask why? This way, you’ll know if they’re offering a spa day or an opportunity for you to help them clear out their spider-filled garden shed or babysit their children!

Changing the word ‘should ’ to ‘could’ makes a massive difference.

Are you like me in that you hate the word should? Should sounds so bossy and forceful, whereas the word could opens up a world of opportunities and gentle invitations.

If you say I should go for a walk, it sounds like a chore, something else you have to do, whereas saying I could go for a walk sounds like a treat. Try it and see how it changes your world.

7 Useful things I've learned this year mage of woman in a white dress with a note book and dandelions making a bucket list

Taking time to rest and reflect is so important. Toxic productivity is not

Do you allow yourself time to rest and reflect on how your day has gone, how your weeks are going or how well you’re doing?

Sometimes we can be so busy being busy that we don’t give ourselves time to rest up, and take time to reflect on what is working well and what needs a tweak. If we keep scurrying from one project to another without taking time to sit for a while, and contemplate what went well and what could have been done better we can often tie ourselves up making the same mistake over and over again.

I often get asked if I’ve been busy as if being busy is the ultimate goal. Take it from me that it absolutely isn’t and this need for constant productivity if left untamed can become toxic. I know the other week I was panicking because for the whole Sunday afternoon I did literally nothing. It was a cold wet sunday, and I was tired so I rested up and felt so much better for it. But sometimes you need to allow yourself time to rest up so you can gather strength to make new plans.

Enjoyed Reading this? Check out my other articles

https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/7-ways-fear-gets-in-the-way/

Need a treat? Check out my Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic shop.*

https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/sjcooper

*I get a small commission for any sales made through the link

Winter Wellness: How to Stay Healthy, Well and Happy This Winter

Health and Wellbeing

Here are some useful winter wellness tips to help you stay healthy, well and happy this winter.

Winter is made for comfort, not for speed!

Winter shouldn’t be rushed, but luxuriated in.

Winter has a slow, gentle vibe, bringing with it a time of quiet, contemplation before the world wakes again in spring.

It is the perfect time of year to slow right down, curl up in front of the fire with a good book or take long walks in nature if you’re feeling very energetic. By all means, make plans for later in the year, but winter is a time of burrowing away from others and the hustle and bustle of daily life.

It is not the time to be dashing around attempting to change the world. It is a great time to rest, restore and reflect..It’s the ideal time to ‘mend your nets’ or attend to anything that needs sorting or fixing, in a not-overly-energetic kind of way.

The darker days may make some of us feel a bit low in energy or down in the dumps, but there are plenty of ways of adding a little lightness and magic to even the darkest of winter days.

winter wellness image of woman reading a good book

Hunker down

Have long, lazy mornings in bed and cosy evenings in front of the fire, or tucked up under a blanket. Read the book you’ve bought but haven’t made a start on yet. Watch the stars on the patio, with a mug of hot chocolate to keep you warm. Use the time in the darker evenings to journal and reflect on what has been going well recently. Rest a while. Gather strength, work out what needs pruning out of your life. Wear big fluffy socks and comforting big jumpers for extra cosiness. Stare out of the window for a few minutes, just observing the world as it goes by.

If you need a little magic or sparkle in your life, try adding a few candles and or fairy lights to your sitting room. Take long, deep baths with dim lighting and lots of bubbles. Look for little glimmers of hope as you go about your daily life.

image of woman in yoga pose looking stress free, to illustrate winter wellness managing stress levels

Manage your stress levels.

Excess stress and being poorly often go hand in hand so if you want to keep well this winter it is a good idea to keep your stress levels as low as possible. Work out what you NEED to get done in a day and do only that, unless you have energy to do more. Spend time with friends and family, or call a loved one for a chat. Find an absorbing hobby to take your mind off things. Speak kindly to yourself, the last thing you need in the depth of winter is your own voice nagging you.

Massage, Reiki, and Reflexology can also all help with reducing stress levels. If you haven’t already got your next treatment booked in my diary please go to www.sarahcooper.co.uk and book in. (if you’re local, of course!)

image of glass shining on ice to illustrate winter wellness

Look after yourself

Fresh air and exercise can make a massive difference to how you feel during the winter months. Not only is it good for the body, it is also good for the soul.

If you catch up with friends why not take a hot drink and go for a walk, rather than meeting in a coffee shop? If you like, take some photos of what you see on your walks.

I love nothing more than going for a long walk and taking loads of pictures of things that catch my eye. The light shining through the trees, or bouncing off a chunk of ice lying on the ground.

Taking a morning walk can be super helpful for your circadian rhythms – it lets your body know it is morning, which can help massively with your sleep patterns.

image of a hand holding a wadge of vitamin d capsules to illustrate winter wellness

Take vitamin D

Take vitamin D regularly to keep your mood up and your bones happy. Having too much vitamin D can be as problematic as having too little so ensure you take the optimum dose for you. Speak to your local health food shop or pharmacist for advice about which versions are most easily absorbed. Ensure you take your vitamin D with a source of healthy fat as it is fat-soluble and this will help with effective absorption.

See this article for more information on taking Vitamin D effectively https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/

Image of a bowl of banana porridge, an ideal winter wellness tip

Eat well and stay hydrated

Pack your diet full of fruit and vegetables, lean protein, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and water. Eat soups and stews with as many vegetables packed inside as possible. Have a glass of fruit juice each day (only one, more than that can play havoc with your blood sugar levels and potentially damage your teeth)

If you would like a warming way of enjoying water, try adding a little honey, a slice of fresh ginger and a slice or two of fresh lemon to a mug of boiling water, leave to cool until a good drinking temperature, than sip. Or try spiking a slice of lemon with a couple of cloves and add that to some boiling water with a little honey.

Naturally reduce your sugar intake (NOT by replacing it with sweeteners) – maybe add less sugar in your tea and coffee, and cut out processed cakes, buns and biscuits.

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/creating-a-healthy-diet/gut-health/

winter wellness . image of person wiping light swtiches to avoid catching bugs

Protect yourself from bugs

If anyone in your household succumbs to illness, use antibacterial wipes to sanitise touch points like the loo handles, light switches, taps etc. Have a separate towel for every family member. Use organic defence hand spray to keep your hands nice and clean (you can also buy organic defence blend for the diffuser if you want to help freshen the air too)

https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/sjcooper/product/1045/natural-defence-hand-rub-40ml-with-spray-cap/ *affliliate link

If it isn’t too cold, try flinging open the windows to let some fresh air in, even if for just ten minutes or so.

Wash your hands and face when you come home.

I always wash my hands and face once I have come home for the day. This helps wash away some of the bacteria encountered throughout the day.

Further Reading

https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/7-great-ways-to-reduce-your-stress-levels/

https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/seasonal-affective-disorder/

How to be more goddess-like

Feel Better

By goddess-like, I mean how to look good and feel great, to have firm boundaries in place so you won’t put up with anyone’s nonsense, whilst still being soft and warm and feminine.

It’s about having main character energy and owning the room as you enter it. About standing up and being all that you can possibly be, without feeling like you’re too much.. Of being valued and loved for who you are, not moulding yourself into how society thinks you should be.

About accepting help when you need it, and inviting love into your life, so you feel loved and appreciated. It’s about setting your own price tag and your standards high. It’s also about not people pleasing any more and doing what suits you on your own terms.

Image of woman holding the word no to illustrate how to be more goddess like

Set boundaries

Set boundaries with your time, your money, your energy, your work and your social media.

With your time, adopt the policy that if you’re asked to do something / go somewhere and your instant reaction isn’t a ‘hell yeah’ It’s a no. Have a few stock answers as to why you can’t do things. Keep them vague – I already have plans that day, I’m tied up, I’m sorry I can’t make it.

With your money, make sure that you know where it is going each month by keeping check of it. Before buying anything think do I really need this or would I rather have the £x in my bank account? If you find yourself people pleasing with money, like paying way more for a meal because friends want to split the bill and you’ve not had anywhere near the spend that they have had, just pay for your own stuff and don’t feel guilty!

With your energy make sure you have enough white space in your diary to simply breathe, potter or just be for a while. Work with your menstrual cycles if you’re still menstruating, and with the moon cycles if you’re not.

At work, know when you need to go home, take leave or have a break. Don’t feel you have to stay on late just because your office has a culture of working extra hours each day. You can be a good employee and still get home on time. If someone tries dumping extra work on you and you really don’t have time to deal with it, set a boundary and let them know that you can’t help them. Lessen the blow by suggesting someone who may be able to help you.

Set boundaries on how much you’re using social media. You don’t have to be constantly available for everyone. It will probably do everyone good for you to be absent for a while. So use social media for your own purposes and take regular breaks from it.

Keep some of your information a secret, you don’t need to tell everyone everything. Have an air of mystery about you, and share private stuff only with your closest friends and family.

Be assertive

Know what behaviour you will and won’t accept. Don’t put up with people’s nonsense. By all means find out what is going on for them and see if there is anything you can do to help them but don’t put up with poor behaviour from other people.

If they say they’re going to do something then don’t without notifying you well in advance as to why, then say something. You don’t have to be rude or offensive, you can be firm but kind with your words and get your point across.

Make little upgrades to your daily life and routine

Have a pot of tea rather than a cup, drink proper coffee not instant. Have 200 count bedsheets, choose plush fabrics that feel amazing to touch. Drink organic cocoa before bed.

Choose the best quality food you can afford and do as little to it as possible.

Eat your food off a proper plate, sitting at the table. No more running around the house to eat or eating at your desk.

Polish your shoes, wear your best knickers.

Clean your car, and have a nice fragrance spray for your car instead of a tacky, stinky plastic car air freshener.

image of woman holding a lipgloss to illustrate being a goddess

Look expensive and put together

Go through your wardrobe and pick out anything that doesn’t look good, feel great. Donate, sell or ditch anything that doesn’t make you feel like a goddess.

Keep pieces that make you look amazing and that feel good to wear. Get rid of anything that doesn’t go with anything else or is a bit tatty now. Vinted.co.uk or ebay.co.uk are good places to sell unwanted good quality clothes. If you want to donate clothing and shoes you can go to anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk and arrange a collection time, they come to your house and collect. When buying new clothes choose pieces that go together well and keep them immaculately pressed.

Wear a slash of lippy to complete your look

image of a bottle of perfume on a bed of rose petals to illustrate being a goddess

Smell like a goddess!

Have a signature scent and use it every day. Fragrance tends to go off if you don’t use it so get a decent bottle of perfume or eau de toilette and use it regularly.

Before purchasing, ensure that it smells good on your skin, as the fragrance can change from person to person and what can smell amazing on one person can smell awful on another.

image of a makeup bag to illustrate being a goddess

Keep a goddess kit in your car or desk

Have a bag containing a tub of toothpaste, a travel toothbrush, some soap, deodorant, and a fresh pair of knickers in your car and or desk, so if you do need to quickly freshen up you can.

Having some hand soap and a flannel to dry your hands on is also a great idea.

image of a woman looking at price tags on hats to illustrate being a goddess

Set your own price tag

Remember that you set your own price tag. Walk into rooms with your head held high, your back straight, a big smile on your face and let people feel your presence. People tend to radiate towards others who have a presence and who command respect. Be that person. If you’re not used to this right now, it can take a bit of getting used to but keep going, you’ve got this!

Like this?

Other blog posts you might like https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/10-ways-to-make-yourself-feel-fantastic/

7 Fabulous things to do this Autumn (even if you’re on your own)

Reflections

Let’s make this autumn your best one yet!

As the nights start drawing in, you may feel the urge to hibernate! It is the perfect season to retreat into the warmth of your own home, hunker down, and shut the door on the world.

I’m going to talk more about things you can do to make the most of the next few months, balancing the need to be cocooned in a cosy world of your own, whilst also finding ways to have some fun and adventures for a little balance.

Most of the things I’m going to suggest you can do either with your friends, family or loved ones or on your own.

If you’re not used to doing things on your own, it can be a challenge at first. But it does get easier. Take a notebook and pen, or a good book or magazine to read, as this can help you feel less awkward if you are having lunch or dinner on your own.

autumn leaf big leaf with rusty colours and a leafy background

Make an autumn bucket list and get some fun stuff booked in the diary

Where would you like to go this autumn? Make a list and see how many you can tick off before winter sets in!

You could go pumpkin picking, visit an art gallery, a museum, an abbey or castle, a ghost walk, a stately home or garden, or pack an autumn picnic and watch the sunrise or set. Or go to the seaside for a bracing walk and a bag of chips!

Check out listings for pantomimes, concerts and plays. Buy your tickets and put the dates in your diary. Get your massages and reflexology treatments booked in, so you have something to look forward to.

Pack cosy blankets, a flask containing a hot drink, and some snacks and go sit somewhere without light pollution, and drink coffee or hot chocolate under the stars. Or get a food flask and take some hot soup (don’t forget to preheat the flask with boiling water and tip out before adding your soup) If it’s a nice night, take camping chairs and sit outside.

Or gather some friends around and have jacket potatoes and homemade tomato and red pepper soup, build a fire pit and toast some marshmallows, whilst telling stories around the fire.

Try going to the cinema one weekday afternoon, on your own or with a friend and watch the first film showing! These days you can take wine or coffee into the cinema with you. Some places will even bring you pizza or snacks to your seat.

Or on a cold, wet day, why not make some homemade popcorn, put on a movie and curl up under a blanket in front of the fire if you have one!

image of a rusty coloured blanket and lady reading a book to depict autumn

Create a cosy nook

Do you have a dedicated space to get cosy when the rain is blashing down the windowpane? If not, maybe now is the time to create one.

Gather up some comfy cushions, some snuggly warm blankets, a candle or warm lamp, and some fluffy socks if you’re into that kind of thing. You could include a heated throw, a hot water bottle or a heat pad. Ensure the lighting is bright enough to read by but not glaringly bright.

Get some fairy lights and string them up to make the space seem even more magical. Or if writing or art are more your thing, create yourself a cosy writing or creation station, have all your favourite pens, pencils and notebooks to hand so you can simply create when the mood strikes

If you love hot chocolate you could make yourself a hot chocolate station with mugs, hot chocolate powder, marshmallows and sprinkles, and a nice tin of biscuits.

Fancy having a crafty Christmas?

Start creating a box of Christmas gifts for your loved ones. You could craft things out of air-dry clay. All you need for this is some air-dry clay, some simple tools, some acrylic paints to decorate your item once they’ve dried and an air dry clay sealant.

If you like art, why not make some bookmarks, or paint pictures for your loved ones? You could get a simple frame and mount to complete the look. You can buy cellophane and ribbon to elevate the look of even the simplest of gifts.

Or go to FreePrints https://www.freeprintsapp.co.uk/ and print out your favourite photo of your loved one, frame it, and give it to them.

Take up cosy hobbies

If you love watching TV but don’t want to just sit there for hours on end, you could take up a cosy hobby like crocheting, knitting, or pom pom making.

Or if you prefer, you could make yourself a pot of tea (so you don’t have to keep jumping up to put the kettle on!) and put on a podcast and do a jigsaw puzzle. All of these things can help your brain untangle after a busy day. There is a raft of fabulous tutorials on Youtube and TikTok if you get stuck.

Play!

Take some autumnal photos using your phone camera. You can get different effects if you play with the portrait setting on your phone, including using the phone’s timer setting, and holding it upside down!

Try taking photos of leaves using portrait mode, or take photos of yourself hidden behind a leaf. Experiment with catching the light behind trees, and over wall tops.

image of some homemade tomato and red pepper soup in a black bowl to depict autumn

Make homemade biscuits and/or homemade soup

Two of my favourite biscuits are ginger biscuits, and melting moments. Ginger biscuits are very easy to make. https://www.mamacoopskitchen.co.uk/ginger-biscuits/

Soups are wonderful things to make at this time of year. Not only are they a great way to get a good range of nutrients fairly quickly, they’re wonderfully soothing to make.

The chopping of the vegetables into even-sized chunks, the gentle stirring of the vegetables as they start to sweat down in the pan, the blending of the soup once it’s cooked and serving it in warm bowls, with big chunks of cheese on toast, or crunchy croutons just makes it even better. Check out my range of soup recipes here. https://www.mamacoopskitchen.co.uk/recipe-ideas/soups/

Let there be light this Autumn

Don’t come back to a dark house, get your table lamps rigged up to come on around the time you’d be leaving work, so when you arrive home the house is lit up.

You can do this by getting smart plugs for your Alexa, or traditional style timer plugs, or by using smart bulbs.

If you find reaching out of bed on a morning to put the light on is too much of a challenge, try having a table lamp at the other side of your room, set to come on when you want to wake up.

From Overwhelm to Clarity: 7 Simple Strategies to Calm the Chaos

Feel Better

7 Simple ways to calm the chaos

Has your life got a bit crazy and chaotic recently? Do you sometimes find that you do things in a bit of a rush because there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day, or enough days in the week?! You’re not alone. Sometimes we can get so busy that we end up living in a chaotic state.

Here are my top tips on how to calm the chaos.

image of healthy food meal prepped to illustrate the point of calm to chaos

How do you calm the chaos?

The most important thing you can do is figure out what is causing the problem. Is there a simple step you could take to calm the chaos?

If it’s caused by being busy at meal times and you find yourself constantly eating on the hoof, consider spending a little time prepping some soup or a pasta salad that will last a couple of days, that you can simply dig into when you’re hungry.

Or get a slow cooker and start putting dinner into that first thing in the morning so you can simply dig out your portion when you get home without having to start faffing on making dinner when you’re tired.

If you find the chaos is caused by not having the right food in when you need to cook it, try ordering your groceries online, or sign up for a fruit and veg box service, and/ or create a meal plan in advance.

Top Tip:

If you find you run out of key grocery items like dishwasher tablets, tea bags, toilet rolls, etc, try hiding a few in a different cupboard so you ‘run out’ when you’ve actually got a few left.

image of a hand holding a white traditional style alarm clock to illustrate the point of power hour to calm the chaos

Have a power hour

Set a timer for an hour and see how much you can get done. If you find that you’re well into the swing of what you’re doing after the power hour you can of course keep going until the jobs are done or until you’ve had enough, depending on what happens first!

It can help if you put on some upbeat music (there are some fabulous housework playlists on Spotify) or put on a podcast and get cracking. I’ve added my latest upbeat playlist below!

It can be helpful to gather up items that are in the wrong place and take them back to where they should be. When I’m tidying my study, the first thing I normally do is to remove any items that belong to anyone else in the family.

You can gather lost items into a laundry basket or cardboard box and then return them to their rightful place in one go!

image of three boxes to help decluttering to calm the chaos

Have a charity donation box, (and a Vinted account!)

If you have too many clothes, or find that your family has outgrown some of their clothes, try having a charity donations bag or box either in your wardrobe or somewhere more communal like the hall or landing. This way you can simply pop items in as you come across them and then take them to the charity shop when you have a few items gathered up. There are charity collection bins in many supermarket car parks and by local fire stations.

Or try selling items on Vinted. It’s a free selling site, where you simply upload some good clear photos and an accurate description of your item, set a price and off you go. Download the app or go to www.vinted.co.uk

Calm the chaos box up anything you dont use

Ditch the clutter

Do you find that you’re ruffling through loads of items that you don’t use to get to the one thing you do want to use? If so you may be drowning in clutter. A good way to stop this is to carefully consider what items you use regularly and put them to one side.

Put all the other things in a box out of the way. Write the date on the box and if after about 90 days you’ve not needed the items in the box you’re probably safe to donate them to charity.

Obviously keep the seasonal stuff separate, there’s no need to donate the Christmas stuff just because you don’t use it in July, August and September! If you find you need an item from the box that’s fine.

calm the chaos do a load of laundry each day image of a lady hanging out white items on a washing line

Do one (or two) loads of laundry every day

If you have a busy household and your laundry basket seems to have a lot in common with the magic porridge pot, try doing a load of washing every day.

Declutter anything that looks raggy or tatty before it goes in the washing machine. Raggy knickers? Bin them! Holey socks? Ditto. Life is too short to wear raggy pants.

calm the chaos, image of hands typing on a laptop

Do similar tasks together

If you have a lot of the same type of task to do, do them all in one go. It can be very distracting if you answer emails as they come in.

Try dealing with emails as a batch, or diarise some time to answer those telephone calls, for example.

Make note of any 2 minute tasks and do those when you’re waiting for the kettle to boil.

image of a tidy sitting room to illustrate calm the chaos

Do a quick daily reset

At the end of the day, throw any children’s toys into a lidded basket, tidy up the sitting room so it looks nice, have a quick wipe around the kitchen, and squirt a little bleach down the loos.

This way it won’t LOOK like chaos when you come down the next day.

image of a beach and some chips and a seagull to illustrate calm the chaos

Take a break from the chaos.

Sometimes when life is very chaotic, it can completely get you down and feel overwhelming and impossible to see a way out of.

Taking yourself completely away from the chaos can be really helpful. You don’t have to go far or for a long period of time.

A quick trip to the coast and a bag of chips is often enough.

7 Great ways to embrace the energy of summer

Reflections

Summer lends itself to lazy days at home or at the beach, exciting adventures, holidays at home and abroad and a little spontaneity. It’s also perfect for a little al fresco dining, or just simply sitting in your garden for a while once the sun has gone down.

There can be a sense of timelessness during those heady summer days when you can stop watching the clock for a while and simply go with the flow.

It can also be the perfect time for long, solitary walks, time for quiet reflection and much-needed downtime from the hustle and bustle of daily life

Summer energy breakfast, Image of a cup of coffee and a croissant

Set a loose structure for those hot summer days

In order to keep some sense of order during the summer months it can be helpful to impose a loose structure to your days. Having meals at similar times and getting up and going to bed at similar times each day can help.

Your body is a creature of habit and loves to know what is likely to come next. It also means you’re less likely to end up feeling hungry, tired or cranky which has to be a good thing, right?!

Summer energy make a list. Image of woman in a white dress with a note book and dandelions making a bucket list

Make a summer bucket list!

If you’re up for an adventure this summer, make a list of where you’d like to go and then research their opening times and check if you need to book in advance or whether you can simply rock up on the day.

You could include day trips, holidays, people you’d like to see, places you’d like to go, concerts you’d like to attend, or even that restaurant you keep meaning to try.

Top Tip:

If you’re a member of the National Trust, English Heritage, Historic Houses Association or RHS (and similar national schemes) it can be worth flicking through their handbooks/ websites to see if you can get into any of their partner properties for free or a reduced fee.

Summer energy keep your swimming kit in your car. Image of woman by a swimming pool wiping her face with a light coloured towel

Be Prepared!

If you love swimming, try keeping your clean swimming kit in your car boot. Or if you like walking keep your walking boots or a spare pair of trainers in your car. If you like trips to the beach, keep a towel in your car so you can go paddling if you fancy that. An old carrier bag to put soggy swimming stuff is also handy.

You could also get some pretty fairy lights or outside lighting for your patio and keep a basket with blankets etc near the back door so if you fancy sitting outside later in the day you can be cosy and warm without a lot of extra effort!

Image of a group of friends making smores around a campfire whilst someone plays a guitar. Summer vibes

Be spontaneous.

Invite friends around for a spur of the moment bbq. Make s’mores on a campfire or fire pit. Make detours to a museum, beach, quaint cafe for afternoon tea, or exhibition if you have time.

Get a blanket and put it on the grass and watch the Perseid shower ( a shooting star display which normally happens around the 12-13th August each year)

Summer energy image of friends sat around a table dining al fresco with tapas and a bottle of red wine

Be a tourist in your own town or city!

You don’t need to go far to have a fabulous time. You could do the tourist attractions surrounding your home, or take yourself out to a Spanish restaurant for some tapas, or a Turkish restaurant for some meze, for example.

Check out your local castle, cathedral, museum, parks, stately home etc. Hotels often have leaflets of what is going on in the local area if you need some inspiration.

Read my blog post ‘What treasures are on your doorstep”

image of three ice creams in cones on a sky blue background, the cones appear to be honey comb, chocolate and raspberry ripple ice cream

You don’t need a long time to have a good time!

We can think that going to the beach or a tourist attraction takes all day. Often it doesn’t! If you have an afternoon or evening to spare, try going to the beach for an hour or two. Have a drive out, a bag of chips and a breath of sea air.

Pop into a stately home instead of a service station (if you have a membership pass of course!) as you travel up and down the country. The loos are often cleaner, and the food nicer (and cheaper), and there’s usually somewhere to stretch your legs. Or pop in for a picnic, or a walk or whatever if you have a spare couple of hours.

Meet friends for a walk and coffee at your local park or go for a walk in a wood rather than at a coffee shop!

Summer energy rest image of woman lounging in hammock in garden, she has dark hair which is tied back

It’s ok to rest a while

Summer lends itself to rest, time out and pursuing hobbies that don’t take much energy. Take an afternoon nap in the shade, read those books you’ve bought but haven’t started yet. Do some journaling or take up watercolour painting.

Read magazines (you can read them on your phone or tablet for free if you sign up to Leeds Library online and use their Libby app!)

Just enjoy the sensation of the sun on your skin and the wind blowing through your hair. You DON’T have to chase through summer at a fast pace (unless you want to!)

Things to try this summer…

Take yourself off to your local pub or cafe with a good book, get yourself a drink and read for a while or do some people watching
Get a Chinese or Indian takeaway and take it to a picnic bench in a park and have it as a picnic
Go for a swim in an outdoor pool – localish ones include Pool Bridge Farm, Rudding Park, Helmsley, Ilkley Iido
Watch the sunrise from somewhere pretty (take a flash of coffee if you like!)
Make a pot luck salad https://www.mamacoopskitchen.co.uk/pot-luck-salad-recipe/

Some of my other blog posts you might enjoy!

https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/time-to-rip-up-the-rule-book/

https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/uses-and-benefits-of-sweet-orange-essential-oil/

« Older Entries

What is an Autumn Reset?

Learning something new (or improving something you’re already doing)

Delving deeper into your spirituality.

Make a list!

Prune your life!

Introduce a little hygge into your life

Further Reading

Do you wish you were more creative?

But I don’t have time to be creative?

Do I need to do a course, or research how to do things properly?

What if I’m wasting my time?

Stock up!

What can I do to be more creative?

Where can I start?

Other posts you may like

Sunday Reset? What’s that?

Why should I do a Sunday reset?

Diary Time!

Plan downtime into your diary

Meal plan.

Work out what you’re wearing for the week.

Reset your living space

Have an everything shower

Put out what you need for tomorrow, tonight.

Further Reading

Have you ever considered what if everything works out ok?

Why don’t we consider that everything could work out ok?

Further reading

What causes loss of libido?

Physical Reasons for loss of libido in menopause and perimenopause

Time constraints/ Tiredness/ Too much on the to-do list/ Stress

Feeling unattractive

Not wanting to exchange energy with him as he’s so annoying

Regaining Intimacy

Aim for true intimacy, not like in films!

Further Reading

Join Menopause Support UK Facebook Group

Common Uses of Vetiver Essential Oil

What is vetiver, and where does it come from?

Which part of the vetiver plant is used in making essential oil?

How is vetiver essential oil made?

What are the benefits of vetiver essential oil?

Relieves stress and tension, calming

Relaxes, restores tired minds and overworked bodies

Soothes sore muscles, eases rheumatism and arthritis

Good for libido, aphrodisiac

Improves sleep

Good for the skin, helps reduce scars and stretch marks

Ways to use Vetiver essential oil

In a massage blend

In your bath

In a diffuser

What does Vetiver blend well with?

Contraindications / Safety Precautions

Where to buy vetiver

Other posts you might like

About Vetiver Essential Oil

Chemical Constituents

7 Useful things I’ve learned this year

We set our own limits

It’s ok not to fit in ‘the box’

You hold the permission slip

You set your own price tag.

The power of saying no

Changing the word ‘should ’ to ‘could’ makes a massive difference.

Taking time to rest and reflect is so important. Toxic productivity is not

Enjoyed Reading this? Check out my other articles

Need a treat? Check out my Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic shop.*

Winter is made for comfort, not for speed!

Hunker down

Manage your stress levels.

Look after yourself

Take vitamin D

Eat well and stay hydrated

Protect yourself from bugs

Wash your hands and face when you come home.

Further Reading

Set boundaries

Be assertive

Make little upgrades to your daily life and routine