Noticing the small and delightful things

notes on overwhelm, slowing down & the next journaling club

the neighbourhood cat enjoying the final glimpses of sunshine 🌞

Hello, I’m Jodie. A Yoga teacher & creator. I write about my quest to live a slower pace of life post hustle culture with themes of rest and seasonal living. Subscribe to support my work & to read more. Or, get cosy and join our Slower Space community to access all content including meditations and the journaling club!

I’ve just finished reading Kala by Colin Walsh, although some difficult themes at times, there was a sentence that stood out and acted as a very timely reminder…

“It takes strength to be open to life, to the possibility things will change for the better.”

Whilst I don’t align with how a lot of manifestation is presented in the mainstream, this part around where we choose to focus our energy and the impact of that makes so much sense to me.

In the book, the character goes on to talk about how we have a choice on what we choose to focus on, and of-course when I make a conscious effort to notice the good stuff - life feels lighter!

The past couple of months I’ve been experiencing some anxiety thats clouded my ability to tap into the small wonders. Naturally, when my mind is racing, I miss the sound of the birds in the morning, the way the light is shifting in our dining room as we move through the seasons, the little robin sat on the bare branch.

I miss all of the little delights and reasons to be grateful and in awe of the world, so, I’ve been making a conscious effort to refocus and bring that back.

The theme for our next journaling club is noticing. These journaling sessions, which are free to Slower Space members, combine a grounding meditation and moment of calm with guided journaling for a chance to check-in and re-align. The theme for March’s session couldn’t be more fitting as we transition into spring, and it’s been again a reminder to slow down and notice where I’m putting my energy.

If you’d like to join, we’ll be meeting on Monday the 3rd of March at 7:30pm GMT on Zoom, the link will be shared in advance, and if you can’t make it live, the journal prompts will be shared the day after ✨

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When the sense of overwhelm is strong, there’s no space to notice and appreciate all of the little things in life. I’ve been making a conscious effort to first of all notice and pay attention to the thoughts I’m having, but then also tap into an alternative narrative and remind myself to focus on those feel good things that are already here too.

spotting this felt like a small, but delightful moment. A reminder of the love and joy in the world ❤️

I’ve found both journaling on this and having a note on my phone helpful, here’s a few things that have come up for me.

Some recent delights…

1. Having pancakes for breakfast with blueberry compote and savouring it

2. Feeling my son wriggle in response to mine and my husbands voice

3. Waking up in our newly decorated bedroom and spending a little longer in bed to soak up the new space

4. Finding a gorgeous decaf loose leaf tea - it’s the one from Whittards and it’s so good!

5. Buying my sweet pea seeds ready to plant later this week

6. Epsom salt baths - bringing me alot of relief right now

7. Getting back into using my diffuser and buying some new essential oils

8. Spotting the small signs of transition from winter to spring through the days getting longer and daffodils coming into bloom

9. Sharing the news about The Retreat and filling over half of the spaces with lovely guests in a week!

Let me know some of your recent delights in the comments!

Until next time,

Jodie x

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