We are winding things up now as we head towards the end of the year at Sew Me Something. Our last workshops have run and we can begin to sort out and tidy up in the studio. The sewing machines and overlockers will be having their annual holiday service and will come back in the new year all shiny, dust free and ready to go.
It is a chance for me to wind down too. It’s been a pretty hectic year and with the shop closed for two weeks over Christmas and New Year I can finally put my feet up and sip my sloe gin!
As the years have gone by working for myself, the more I have come to realise that we do need to be kinder to ourselves and to make time to wind down, chill, find a quiet space or however you want to describe the time we take to just be. Things can get a bit hairy sometimes on the modern hamster wheel of life and it can feel rather relentless.
So I have tried to build a bit of quiet time into my day and it is slowly, very slowly developing into a habit that I do not want to do without. It often isn’t at the same time every day and it can involve doing things too like getting out of the studio and going for a walk down to the river, or sitting in a cafe drinking coffee and people watching, or even 10 minutes of meditation.
At the risk of sounding like a middle aged hippy I have found listening to a meditation app* on my phone helps me to quieten the million and one things I have whizzing around my head and just allows me to ‘breathe’. Meditation takes practice and I am nowhere near being able to still my mind completely but having taken 10 minutes out to try, I can then pick up from where I left off feeling a lot calmer and more focussed on what I need to do.
In fact I did it before sitting down and writing this.
What do you do to unwind or to find a bit of peace during the day? Let me know in the comments below.
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*I listen to Headspace, but there are loads of other apps and ways to meditate out there.
Jules
I like you run my own business, I have a tree nursery, last year I put my sewing room in the back of the office so that on cold wet days I can have the nursery open and I can sew. I have had a forced rest as I have the big C, glad to say I can still keep working as feeling great. I have been sewing up ‘Kate’ a great pattern, and I have the greatest excise to get out for a walk I need to walk the tree lines to inspect the condition of the trees. Enjoy your rest, you deserve it. Happy Christmas.
Karon
I have a demanding full time job, and I came to realise that the work life balance was not right for me a few years ago when I no longer knew how to relax. When I tried I couldn’t. I now have dedicated time in silence when I at first made myself switch off, a skill I had to learn, despite medication and yoga for years, but now this time has paid off. I wouldn’t be without it. My sewing table is cleared up over the holiday too which is making me fidgety! I understand where you are coming from Jules, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Going to check out a meditation app, sounds like just what I need.