Building a self-care toolkit

Gardening, furry friends and cooking up a storm

It may be a bit of a biggie to cover in a simple Sunday musing, but I couldn’t let Mental Health Awareness Week slide by without giving it a second thought. While I’ve very fortunately never been one to experience deep struggles with my mental health, it’s something that I fiercely safeguard – building solid boundaries with sturdy foundations and thick, unmoving walls in order to protect it.

Some back-story: Back in 2019 I embarked on a quilt pattern design journey. I giddily built my brand (which some of you will know as Cloth & Crescent), nurtured a small following and quickly crafted my first quilt pattern. The designing part I adored. It pushed my creativity, challenged my visual eye and brought me so much joy. The rest was another story. From the second I sent my debut pattern to testers for tech checks and feedback, I found myself waking up every single day with a heavy, grinding knot in my stomach. I compulsively checked my emails and direct messages, awaiting the worst – what if I’d done the maths wrong and cost someone a fortune in fabric; what if my design was unintentionally similar to someone else’s and I got accused of plagiarism; what if they hated making something so personal to me so much that they simply had nothing good to say? No matter how ridiculous a train of thought, my silly little brain dreamt it up.

As I started releasing my patterns to the public and quilters started paying their hard-earned money for my designs, the anxious thoughts just stacked. With quilts also filling my days, working at Love Patchwork & Quilting mag, they very quickly became all-consuming. Without realising, my treasured hobby that once brought so much joy had become a drain. It fed my negative thoughts, flooded my free time, made me unreasonably stressed and destroyed my work/life balance. So after three patterns, I called it quits. And I’ve never had a single regret for doing so.

It may seem trivial to some, but that experience made me aware of my limits, boundaries and what really is important to me. Now, I am so ferociously protective of my happy place, ensuring that I incorporate variety into my routine and pepper my weeks with pockets of calm and creativity that are purely for me. After that mighty hefty intro (yep, we’ve only just started, folks!), here are a few things I hold dear in my weekly self-care toolkit.

The great outdoors

If a pound dropped into your bank account every time I talked about going outside on this Substack, you’d be pretty minted in very little time. But it’s so important – whether I’m trudging through mud or floating through sunny corn fields, every time I get out in nature I’m able to breathe in the fresh air, collect my thoughts and find a sense of calm and clarity that makes all the difference to my mindset.

Monthly craft projects

Starting with my applique folk quilt in 2022, making my own creative ‘block of the month’ projects is an invaluable way to reflect on personal highlights and celebrate the little things. Even now, I can still vividly remember the tiny joys of each month from last year, thanks to the memories I stitched into each design. I hope that my screen-printed blocks this year can do the same!

Time in the kitchen

Other than the great outdoors, the only other place that can help me truly clear my mind is the kitchen. After a long day at work or an intense week, I love nothing more than to put my headphones on, switch on a podcast or audiobook and tune everything else out while I methodically chop, stir and cook up a storm.

Green thumb therapy

I still haven’t pinpointed exactly what I love about gardening so much, but since moving into a house with a garden just under two years ago I’ve fallen head over heels with it. This year, even just tiptoeing outside to take a peek into my cold frame and notice the miniascule differences in my seedlings makes me so content, and I can’t wait for more sun-soaked days growing my own oasis of lush leaves and bright blooms from the ground up.

A handmade wardrobe

Something that inherently ties into my own mental health is body image and self-confidence, and I can’t assertively say that either have ever come particularly naturally to me. But making my own clothes has helped to counter this. Not only do I get the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment from actually making something for myself, I also get to sew clothes that make me feel good and help me to express myself.

My furry friend

Those who know my sweet little rescue pal Digby can confirm that he’s not always easy. He loves a good cry, isn’t great in his own company and has levels of anxiety and fear that could rival Scooby Doo. But he’s also cuddly and excitable with the sweetest little eyes that’ll distract you from your worries even if just for a few minutes. There’s certainly something to be said about having a fluffy friend to stroke, play with and remind you to leave your house.  

Whatever your mental health looks like, there’s nothing more important than listening to it, prioritising it and ensuring that your time is spent doing things that have a positive impact. Does any of today’s Substack resonate? I’d love to hear what you have tucked into your self-care toolkit.  

Lorna x