Pottering: A Cure for Modern Life

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Pottering is not glamorous. You don’t have to put too much effort in, go very far or even do it with others. Pottering is not a lifestyle concept, and it doesn’t require practice. Just be. For instance, instead of buying takeaway for lunch, you challenge yourself to pull together a meal with what you’ve got in your fridge and pantry. In some ways, pottering can be a very creative practice. When you set aside time to potter, your time is entirely your own. When someone asks you what you are doing for the weekend and you reply, ‘Oh, I don’t know, really. Just pottering’, what you’re saying is you haven’t decided yet, you don’t want to commit – in fact, you could do with a bit of time to yourself.

It's not about large scale projects like re-painting a kitchen or laying a patio, it's slower and more subtle than that. Pottering is not about pressure, it's not supposed to be stressful, it's a productive calming activity. Another fundamental is not trying too hard. “There is no such thing as ‘doing it well’,” McGovern writes, reassuringly. “There are no benchmarks for success… no one is judging your performance when you find a matching lid and plastic pot in the odd assortment of containers you use for freezing leftover food. It’s just not something you can ‘excel’ at.” Then the chapters are full of musing and specific suggestions for how to go about pottering when following that particular guideline. For example, under "don't try too hard," we are invited to do tasks that are "quite satisfying and useful only but the tiniest margin," like sweeping with a broom, cleaning out old bags/purses, sorting junk drawers, leaving something to soak, sewing on a single button, cutting scrap paper out of old envelopes, organizing key dishes. What I love about pottering is you get to set the bar extremely low. In fact, you don’t have to accomplish much at all. The Fundamental Principles of Pottering

I find I'm happiest and more relaxed when I've spent a day pottering around the house so I guess my take away from reading this book is I need to switch off the electronics a little more often and just potter! I'd be happier and more content for doing so. Three years ago, McGovern had a full-time job, three young children and an ageing father she was caring for. She recognised she had “done a bit too much for a bit too long” and decided to use her holiday to take the same day off each week for several months. “After a period of intensity in my life, I felt I needed some time off and it was incredibly beneficial – more than I ever thought, because I’d given myself permission to have a rest.” When you potter, there’s no pressure to achieve results or a perfectly clean room/home. And there’s also no need to share your pottering experience on social media. That would defeat the purpose. Why? Because pottering requires you to take time out from screens.

The key principles of pottering include making “do with what you’ve got,” not trying too hard, movement, staying local, and keeping it digital-free. Such techniques foster contentment and effortless living, focused on single tasks that embrace experimentation over excellence and are often, but not always, solitary pursuits. One chapter includes seasonal ideas to prime one’s mind for living at a slower pace year round, including spring cleaning, making popsicles in the summer, planting bulbs in the fall, and snuggling in the winter. Thankfully, Anna McGovern opens the book by placing it outside the landscapes of the rather worn out "mindfulness", as well as the Danish "hygge". Pottering is not about any of this. And that is why you should read this book. On my pottering days, I like to keep away from my car and use my bike and legs as transport. This helps me feel more connected to my local community. With the car off limits, this means I can’t travel very far. When I’m in full pottering mode, an epic journey is the local library.

Pottering days are chill days. You are unauthorised to rush around. McGovern recommends you do things locally on your pottering days. When you potter, there’s no need to rush out and buy new things. Pottering is about being resourceful. It’s about thinking on your feet and making do with what you’ve got.