Slow & Simple Notes | My favourite ways to slow down in summer

Capturing summer's beauty, gentle pauses, summer-themed reads, birdsong, and nourishing self-care.

Stories and reflections on my journey seeking a slow and simple life, sharing some of the things I’m learning and noticing along the way.

Just in case you missed last month’s, you can read it here.

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I’m back in my hometown for a few days in Lincolnshire, and I’m going to be completely honest… I wasn’t really sure what I was going to write for this week’s Journal entry! It should have been my Simple Joys & Inspirations series this week, which I’ve decided to move to next week instead, as I didn’t want to rush it and for it to feel forced.

Plus, with the heat at the moment, here in the UK, and as someone who doesn’t do quite so well in hot weather, I think many of us are feeling incredibly tired and our minds are definitely more focused on finding ways to keep cool!

I love the sunshine and I love warmer weather, but I’m very much looking forward to a cool breeze, some much-needed rain for the garden (and to fill up the water butts too), and to not feel as though I’m going to melt after taking one step outside!

So I thought for today’s journal entry, I would share a few of my favourite ways to slow down in summer… the things that bring joy, inspiration and creativity, especially when energy levels and focus are low.

Capturing the beauty of summer

Before the heat the of the day, or during those little pockets of the day when it’s clouded over, I love taking my camera outside into the garden to take some photos of our lovely midsummer blooms. They always bring a smile to my face, provide a lovely calm moment, and bring so much beauty to my day. They always remind that there’s so much magic waiting to be discovered.

I also love taking photos of the bees who particularly love our purple wallflower and toadflax, lavender and pink phlox. It’s been such a joy to see a few different types of butterflies visiting our garden too.

A summer themed read

I’ve just started reading Nature Needs You: The Fight to Save Our Swifts by Hannah Bourne-Taylor. It’s an incredible account of Hannah’s story and how she’s brilliantly raising awareness for how important it is to save our swifts. Her passion and love for these beautiful birds is so infectious, and I’ve already been looking at ways I can help.

Although not strictly summer-themed, it feels particularly special reading this outside in the garden while looking up and watching the swifts dart, swoop and dive in the sky.

I’m also really enjoying the July edition of The Simple Things magazine!

A gentle pause in the day

Pausing for a cup of herbal tea and a piece of David Barton’s delicious cake is something I always look forward to. Although it’s something we do all year round, I’m especially enjoying some lovely summer themed cakes. We recently had a very yummy strawberries and cream cake, which was literally like eating summer in cake form!

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Listening to birdsong

Again, something I love all year round, but it’s been made even more special by welcoming lots of sweet baby birds into our garden. They have the most loudest song/call (I’m not sure what to call it), but it’s wonderful to hear… and they’re definitely trying!

I’m really enjoying using the Merlin bird app. It’s helped me to learn and recognise a number of different birdsong. Do you use this app too?

The other day I stepped outside and was very surprised to see a young song thrush. We haven’t heard any thrushes around our garden, only in certain places on our walks. It soon disappeared, but I’m really hoping that maybe we’ll hear their beautiful song nearby.

Evenings spent outside

After a very hot day, it feels so nice to sit outside in the evening (with a cold drink too!) when the air has cooled. The surrounding noise that fills the air throughout the day has faded, and it’s so lovely to hear the birdsong echoing from the trees more prominently beyond our fence.

Sometimes we’ll spot some bats flying over, and as it begins to get darker, our purple wallflower attracts many moths. There’s also the gentle hum of bees collecting a little extra nectar, while the sparrow family fly playfully through the rose bushes.

Some lovely self-care

We’ve currently got some very hot weather here in the UK at the moment, and it’s left me feeling SO tired! Do you feel the same too? I love doing little ?things that can not only help me to rest, but also help me to refuel and feel more refreshed and energised.

I’ve been revisiting Gabrielle Treanor’s AMAZING book called The 1% Wellness Experiment (highly recommend!). It’s filled full of so many wonderful ways to make positive changes, reduce stress, set boundaries, and bring some much needed calm and joy to your daily life in simple and easy ways, one small step at a time.

A few other things that I also enjoy doing are: journaling, doing some gentle stretches, and going for an evening walk. Not checking my phone as soon as I wake up and doing some puzzles instead, making sure I’m drinking enough water and eating nourishing seasonal foods.

I’d love to know what some of your favourite self-care activities are?

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What are some of your favourite ways to slow down in summer?

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Just in case you missed it…

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If you’d love to learn more about me and my work, you can visit my website here. I’d also love to connect with you over on Instagram - you’ll find lots of beautiful blooms and nature-inspired posts, alongside gentle business musings, reflections, and more.

Until next time…