Pottering: A Cure for Modern Life

Product Information

Some or all information pertaining to this property may have been provided solely by the vendor, and although we always make every effort to verify the information provided to us, we strongly advise you to make further enquiries before continuing.

This is the book for people who want to discover productivity at an easier pace, and above all the contentment you achieve when accepting that you can only do what you can do. Author Anna McGovern writes with charm about the joy and practicality of living in the meandering moment, not asking too much of yourself and yet still getting things done in the gentlest of ways. Pottering is a charming little book about the pastime (or shall we call it art?) of pottering. It follows the self-help style, and encourages readers to slow it down a little and enjoy some everyday tasks and moments without the hassle of being productive and most importantly digital-free. In many ways, the principles are similar to the popular "being present" meditative propositions. Even though not much new is being revealed, it's a lovely guide and an important reminder of dropping down that "to-do list" and take it one spontaneous step at a time. I also enjoyed the author's personal experience at the end, where she shares how she became preoccupied with pottering.This is the loveliest book about one of my favourite things to do. It explains the whole idea of "pottering" and what it means to "potter" about and do the most mundane things, we enjoy, like make a cup of tea or clear out that long neglected cupboard., that has turned into Narnia.

Pottering is not doing nothing, however. “Sitting around on your phone or watching a box set isn’t pottering,” says McGovern. Pottering is relaxing precisely because you are occupied in the gentlest of ways. “It’s as though you’ve lent a sheen of legitimacy to your unstructured downtime by doing something ever so slightly useful,” she says. Leaving something to soak, executing a minor repair on clothing, rearranging objects on a shelf are all prime examples of this. It's about switching off from the stresses of the world and being happy with what you've got, living in the moment, appreciating the little things. Many "self-help" techniques (like mindfulness) try to impart a similar principle but because of how they're presented they become a "thing" and just another something that you're "failing" to do or keep up with.The consequence of pottering – a feeling of relaxation and contentment- is usually achieved when you make do with what you’ve got, get moving but don’t go too far, don’t try too hard and keep it digital free.” Though it asserts that reflection is a key to change, the book doesn’t make reflection work unto itself. Instead, it includes low-key reflection prompts, making reflection an enriching part of everyday life. These include asking oneself “why are your pottering?”, with suggested answers: distraction, procrastinating, or avoiding something else. I enjoyed the suggested pottering activities, and appreciated the author extolling the virtues of keeping things local- try out a local cafe, stop in a local shop to look around (making sure to buy something). There are suggestions for pottering in different seasons, and tips on how to know when to potter and when it's an excuse to procrastinate. Sometimes, pottering is writing a long review for a short book that you enjoyed, or reading that review to see if you'll like it. I'm a type B, but this book served as a good reminder to potter more often. Potter on, y'all!

The reason I opted to request a review copy is that I was curious. The concept of Pottering is a very British thing, imo, and it has a very specific meaning. To me, you are not pottering around your house at the weekend if you're spending it harrassed and running around, or playing computer games or mindlessly watching tv and movies. Pottering is not about pressure, it's not supposed to be stressful, it's a productive calming activity. If pottering were to belong to the positive psychology family, it would be a kind and benign aunt. It doesn't take much to impress her: she is gentle, she smiles a lot and she says, 'Don't be so hard on yourself. You should be really proud, the way you handled that.' This isn’t a huge book and it’s an easy read, but it does make you think, if you go into it with an open mind. There is an element of mindfulness, of slow living, of paying attention but it is also a manifesto to take a hard look at what you spend your time on and consider if just pausing and having a potter won’t actually improve your health. As time opens up for all of us to spend more time in the garden, Alan Titchmarsh offers his tips on how to make sure you do it right.Heading upstairs again youll find the "loft room" large, light and bright this serves as the perfect guest accommodation. Ultimately, says McGovern, “pottering is one of a number of coping strategies that you can do when you feel a bit frazzled. While it is by no means a substitute for professional help, it is just one thing in the armoury of self-care that happens to fit in with the way that we’re living now.”

When you set aside time to potter, your time is entirely your own. When someone asks you what you are doing for the weekend and you reply, ‘Oh, I don’t know, really. Just pottering’, what you’re saying is you haven’t decided yet, you don’t want to commit – in fact, you could do with a bit of time to yourself.

You get to go with the flow. Let’s say you’re putting away an item and you stumble across something else that needs attending to (e.g. a drawer that need rearranging), you can change course. Remember, you don’t have to be efficient or productive when you potter. Another fundamental is not trying too hard. “There is no such thing as ‘doing it well’,” McGovern writes, reassuringly. “There are no benchmarks for success… no one is judging your performance when you find a matching lid and plastic pot in the odd assortment of containers you use for freezing leftover food. It’s just not something you can ‘excel’ at.” PS - Sitting down for 10 minutes, drinking a cup of tea and reading a book in between tasks is a valid pottering action! 😉 Consider the words that define pottering ‘without definite plan or purpose’. Let those words really sink in . . . You have the freedom to make tea any way you like. You be you. No one is going to judge. It’s just you and the tea.”