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Pottering: A Cure for Modern Life

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Some or all information pertaining to this property may have been provided solely by the vendor, and although we always make every effort to verify the information provided to us, we strongly advise you to make further enquiries before continuing. 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 This is the loveliest book about one of my favourite things to do. It explains the whole idea of "pottering" and what it means to "potter" about and do the most mundane things, we enjoy, like make a cup of tea or clear out that long neglected cupboard., that has turned into Narnia. If pottering were to belong to the positive psychology family, it would be a kind and benign aunt. It doesn't take much to impress her: she is gentle, she smiles a lot and she says, 'Don't be so hard on yourself. You should be really proud, the way you handled that.'

Pottering days are chill days. You are unauthorised to rush around. McGovern recommends you do things locally on your pottering days. That rest involved downing her digital devices, staying local and filling her Tuesdays with easy-to-achieve tasks. A couple of months into her new routine, McGovern realised that what she was doing could only be described as pottering. For her the restorative powers of regular pottering were such that she decided to interrogate the activity further. Written pre-pandemic, her book is an eerily prescient guide to the mercurial activity of – well, what, exactly? It’s a chance to have a moment free from the tyranny of pressureYes, you may be pottering doing household tasks but you're deriving some pleasure/satisfaction from it. I adored reading it and felt so validated that so many things I already do on summers and weekends will qualify as "pottering." For Anna McGovern there is a satisfying, sensory pleasure to be had in rinsing milk bottles: “The very best thing about getting your milk delivered is ‘rinsing and returning’. Don’t cheat by putting your bottles in the dishwasher. Wash them, by hand. Put a small amount of water in the bottle, slosh the water around, put your hand over the top, shake it up and down, upturn the bottle, glugging the water out, then head for your doorstep and put out the bottle with a ‘plink’”.

I found myself nodding away in agreement as it's pottering in a nutshell but so is the point that not all elements are of equal importance and the emphasis on each will vary person to person and task to task. While I'd never have categorised it in those terms myself they make perfect sense as do the examples and explanations the author gives for each point. It's not about large scale projects like re-painting a kitchen or laying a patio, it's slower and more subtle than that. 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. Pottering can take place in any environment. Me? I find myself pottering in my yard. My gardening affords me the perfect opportunity to potter on a regular basis. I’m thrilled to formally adopt the practice, and have written about it in my blog at https://patch405.com/2020/07/10/do-yo....Though it asserts that reflection is a key to change, the book doesn’t make reflection work unto itself. Instead, it includes low-key reflection prompts, making reflection an enriching part of everyday life. These include asking oneself “why are your pottering?”, with suggested answers: distraction, procrastinating, or avoiding something else. Having books to dip into, to take a minute with is, a rich resource to work towards contentment. I have been carrying this book in my bag and using it as respite. Ultimately, says McGovern, “pottering is one of a number of coping strategies that you can do when you feel a bit frazzled. While it is by no means a substitute for professional help, it is just one thing in the armoury of self-care that happens to fit in with the way that we’re living now.”

We know our children are over-scheduled and overly attached to their electronic devices. We know they need unstructured time to be ‘bored’ so that the creative juices can flow. But what about us, as adults? The author explains the difference between doing things that bring you joy and inner peace, as opposed to those things we do that cause us stress.. It also has some lovely soft and dreamy illustrations, which showcase the chapters perfectly and fit in well with the world of "pottering" As you enter into the hallway the standard of accommodation is evident and reflects the executive style of homes in the area. This book talks us through how to Potter while making a cup of tea and also how to return to a more analogue life.

Don’t try too hard. To try and potter perfectly misses the point. Embrace imperfection. When your ambition is slight and your requirements are limited, ditching perfection really helps keep the pressure off. I enjoyed the suggested pottering activities, and appreciated the author extolling the virtues of keeping things local- try out a local cafe, stop in a local shop to look around (making sure to buy something). There are suggestions for pottering in different seasons, and tips on how to know when to potter and when it's an excuse to procrastinate. Sometimes, pottering is writing a long review for a short book that you enjoyed, or reading that review to see if you'll like it. I'm a type B, but this book served as a good reminder to potter more often. Potter on, y'all! Pottering is not about pressure, it's not supposed to be stressful, it's a productive calming activity. Pottering – a peculiarly British pastime that evokes the shuffling sound of someone (quite possibly in slippers) going contentedly from one thing to the next – is something McGovern is good at. “I think you can lose yourself entirely while you’re pottering,” she says. “It’s a mental break, it’s completely unpressured and it frees you momentarily from all responsibility. It may seem inconsequential, but it has a uniquely restful effect, which I only discovered by chance.”

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