seasonal advice

I can't believe the summer is drawing to a close; I was so sure this one would stretch on forever...Regardless, I'm actually really looking forward to the challenge that this coming year will bring. I'll be diving into the final year of my Masters in Social Work, focusing on mental health and potentially getting my second placement with refugees and asylum seekers (watch this space).

Speaking of mental health, I'm currently trying to lay down some groundwork for my own mental health survival for the coming months. Last winter was long, and cold, and (deep breath) hard. There, I said it. I spent a lot of time over last winter and beyond feeling really rather cold a lot of the time (thanks Manchester), pretty tired and generally not on my A game. None of which is great for maintaining sanity during the final year of my MA, so I'm trying to put some things in place to keep my cool over the next year!

Here's my plan so far:
1. Actually get out of bed/off the couch and go to the gym. Exercising gives you energy. And endorphins. And better circulation, which will in turn hopefully help me combat the cold. Please feel free to pester me about this.
2. Keep going to the life drawing class I started last week. Two blissful hours of focusing intently on putting pencil to paper and forgetting absolutely everything else that happened that day/week/year. Nevermind that I end up with something resembling a missing evolutionary stage...it's escapism and that's what counts.
3. Good music, good books. I have some recommendations for you on both counts: Go take a listen to Susan Enan's brand spanking new album 'Plainsong'; I promise that you will not regret it. Beautiful, haunting, poetic, uplifting. Once you've done that, go read Ali Shaw's debut novel 'The Girl With Glass Feet'; he is an incredibly talented story-teller and this story is deeply creative and does a fantastic job of transporting you to another world - more great escapism.
4. Even if it means playing truant, take every available sunny day, cold or not, and get out into some scenery. Sun on face+green things= happy heart.
5. Drink good coffee, take deep breaths and hot baths, and never underestimate the power of a good nap.

Here's to a new season...