don't just look down, look around

Sleep has been patchy lately. Our worst emotions feel closer to the surface, ready to bubble up at each new shock. We're hyperaware and hypersensitive, over-mindful of our space and the proximity of others. We have to remind ourselves that we are still in a living, vibrant world.

Productivity returned after ages of frozen anxiety and we're working on projects again, which feels good, even though it's sometimes messy.

Moving is a good way to wake up our tired brains and bodies, even if it's just going up and down the stairs or around the garden, going for a walk or making something in the kitchen.

Cheese, mushroom and tomato pasta

Even more important is to keep our minds awake and alert and absorbing something more than a constant stream of bad news or entertainment. Both those things are useful and keeping up with the current state of the world is necessary, but we also need to remind ourselves of things that exist up close.

The world is not just on our screens or happening far off; it is here, we are still in it. It blooms and changes, time passes, there are new things to see in the same place.

It bears a closer look. We've been in the same environment for months now but there is always something more to discover.

Sometimes we hesitate to leave the house; there are those who think easing restrictions mean the danger is over. We're always advised to stay alert; this is not just a stress-inducing warning. We can be awake to interesting and beautiful things that we took for granted in our pre-lockdown daily life.

We wish you a happy seeing. Stay safe, keep looking, and take care of yourself!