Savouring

And a warm welcome to new subscribers

Hi there and welcome to the first Uplift of 2024,

First of all, I’d like to say a warm welcome to new subscribers - it’s great to have you here. Do say hi in the comments below if you’d like to.

I hope you’re hibernating if you need to as we step into January and I hope you have some joyful things to look forward to this year. I hope you can be self compassionate if the festive period was challenging or if you’re fending off Winter bugs. I am moving slowly into January with the intention of it being a bit more spacious and restful than December. I’m also really trying to savour things at the moment.

Last year, I had what some may call a dark night of the soul and others may call a prolonged period of depression. Whatever it was, since I did a significant piece of healing work at Donna Lancaster’s Naked workshop (nothing to do with taking clothes off), started my course and moved to Brighton (all September into October), I’ve been riding the waves of life from above the water rather than from below. This is thanks to hard work, privilege in so many ways, feeling a sense of purpose and following what it right for me, even if it might not make sense to societal norms. And while I’m feeling “good”, I’m trying to really savour it, because I know at some point I may have my “turn” at going under again. That’s life.

To help me savour things more this year, I’ve decided to step back from my personal Instagram accounts for the whole of January and five days in it’s feeling good. I’ve deleted the accounts off my phone and logged out on my laptop. I will still use my work account very sparingly.

A handful of things I’ve savoured since deleting Instagram

• The final sunset of 2023 - lying on the beach with a friend (in many layers!)

• A New Year’s Day swim

• Quality time with my niblings

• Talking to robins, cats and dogs

• Thinking how amazing banana pancakes made with just one overripe banana per one egg are while making and eating them

• Dancing around the kitchen even more than usual

• Just looking out at the landscape of Walthamstow Wetlands (above) rather than scrolling my phone while waiting for my pal

• I also went to the incredible Marina Abramović exhibition at the Royal Academy at the end of December and decided not to take any photos and to just enjoy the moment

In other news, I completed my cold water swims for Catching Lives on 31st December with a swim at Shoreham RNLI. Thanks for the photo Lina. The sun beamed as we arrived and as I looped back from swimming out, it hailed. Exhilarating. Thanks again to everyone who sponsored me. For anyone who want to know, yes I will be continuing with sea swimming and yes I will continue to talk about it at least once a day.

Uplifting News Stories

Catching Lives receives £57k grant from the National Lottery Community Fund

Feeding frenzies and resurgent glowworms among UK wildlife highlights in 2023 | The Guardian

40 reasons to be optimistic about 2024, from science to culture | The i

Really wild diets are found to boost foragers’ health | Positive News

Worth Sharing

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley: Cold Therapy | BBC Sounds

24 ways to slightly improve life without making much effort | The i

Be More Stardust | Donna Lancaster on Substack

Everyday I Think About Leaving... (Social Media) | Jordan Stephens on Substack

You have one life. Do you really want to spend it looking at your phone? | The Guardian

An Almanac for Anxiety: In Search of a Calmer Mind | BBC Sounds

How can we savour our lives in 2024? I started with a list ... | The Guardian

Why Do We Shrink Ourselves for Men? | Tough Love on Substack

Things That Have Brought Me Joy Since I Last Wrote

• Spending another Christmas with family including an iconic 91-year-old.

• Having my own space at a cat sit with very affectionate cats.

• My mum and my sister (without her three kids) came to Brighton for the day for my mum’s birthday. We went to the Pavilion, for a delicious afternoon tea at That Little Tea Shop in The Lanes and watched the sun set and saw starling murmurations while sitting in The Seahorse on the sea front. The lovely waiter was so bubbly and even cleaned the windows so we could see out. Most importantly, quality time together.

• Sitting on the beach watching big waves.

• A return visit to Puzzle Bored in Brighton.

• Setting New Year intentions with a lovely group of Brighton friends that is unfolding.

• A fabulous NYE party, which included a beautiful fireside ritual, lots of singing, dancing and new connections blossoming.

• A cosy New Year’s Day with new friends after a swim.

• Phone and voice note catch ups with friends.

• The way nature suddenly takes my breath away.

• Finding a piece of art by Smile Ninjas who are “sneakily spreading smiles around the world” in Broomfield Park. THANK YOU.

A Few Recommendations

• My friends Dan and Mags are running another Connection Jam - a great event to meet new people - in Brighton this coming Tuesday. You can bring a friend for free. Details here.

• Stroud folk; massage therapist Jessie has moved from London to Stroud you lucky things. I cannot recommend her enough. Details here.

• There’s a lush art exhibition on at The Pump House at Walthamstow Wetlands at the moment. I loved the artwork by Naomi Elfred-Ross and Ben Gooch. It is on until January 14.

  

  

  If someone wants to buy me these ones, that would be great, thanks.

OK, that’s it from me, for now.

If you liked this newsletter, please click the little heart. It really makes a difference.

Until next time,

BB X