A friend forwarded me an excellent document by a lady called Kirsty Dean about mental wellbeing in this season. It has a family focus but most of the principles apply to us all and I was particularly struck by Kirsty’s thoughts on dedicated spaces in our homes. She writes that even if one space has many uses, we can be intentional about how we are using it at any one time. Your living room might be an active space for exercising first thing, shift into home school workspace next, be a quiet reading room for the afternoon, and a cinema for the evening… the point is to think through what you need space for and find a way to boundary it. She also gives tips on creating spaces by simply doing things like putting down a rug, moving furniture, or hanging something on a wall – it’s such a helpful read, let me know if you’d like me to forward it to you!

It reminded me of my favourite chair which I think of as a space to curl up with a book. I’ve decided to try and reclaim it for my reading times by checking the comfiest cushions are on it, that my snuggliest blanket and a table for my cuppa are close by, and having a lamp on rather than the main lights. But then it occurred to me – when exactly are my reading times? I love to read but I couldn’t tell you when I last took time to sit in that chair with a book rather than on the sofa to watch TV. So as I try to get more mindful about my physical space I’m also going to use these lockdown days to think about how I use my time and what I would like to make more space for in both senses.