The importance of pottering…

In an ever-busy world, it’s all too easy to never stop and the art of pottering goes out of the window. But actually it’s an essential tool which will help you function better on a daily basis.

Me, mug in hand, happily pottering in the holiday garden overlooking the Helford River

Google’s Oxford Languages defines the word ‘potter’ as:-

‘To occupy oneself in a desultory but pleasant way’

(Just in case it helps, I had to look desultory up too - it means lacking a plan or purpose)

Personally, I don’t think you should underestimate the value of a good potter around…

It’s highly underrated and almost forgotten in these screen-busy days, but with a little bit of prior thought, it’s very easy to revive the lost art of pottering.

It’s hidden in the stolen moments, tucked away in the crevices of your day - just waiting for you to discover the hidden promise of time well spent.

But it will never come seeking you, you are the architect of the moment and you have to actively seek out a good potter…

It will be there waiting, like an old friend who never needs an explanation about where you’ve been, and when you become reacquainted you’ll wonder why you don’t make the effort more often.

This is disconnect time, no screens required - it beats to a different drum…

It’s ten minutes with a mug of tea in hand, lazily wandering around the garden, your mind tuned out, occasionally dead heading a flower or two…

It’s a mindless wander around the house, carrying socks that are destined for a drawer sometime, but nonetheless you find the time to stand and look out of the window for a while.

It’s bumbling around in the kitchen, perusing shelves and ingredients with a pitstop for a flick through cookery books that deserve to be saved from their exile on the shelf.  No particular meal in mind, just some lazy inspiration for meals yet to be planned.

It’s an amble around the neighbourhood, no particular destination in mind, phone firmly pocketed and eyes tuned to the minutiae of the passing scenery.

It’s poo-picking in the paddock, working your way mindlessly across the field, filling a wheelbarrow as you go and in the meantime, sweeping through a thorny issue in your mind.

It seems insignificant but your brain will love you for pottering.  It’s important reset time, and we don’t do it often enough.

These days, a quiet moment will inevitably prompt the slide swipe that brings the phone to life and although we may feel that we are having a quiet five as our body is resting in a chair, our brain is catapulted back into a workout gym filled with multiple open tabs and ads vying for our attention.  Ergo, it’s not really a rest…

Non-sleep rest is important - it not only restores and revives, which we all need - in the case of our brains, it opens up creative channels and is the arbiter of innovation.  New ideas lurk in the spaces; that’s why they often come to you in the time between sleep and waking, or in the shower…

Both of the above are times when our phones aren’t usually with us…a potter space for the mind if you will!

Given space your mind will get active, and will often surprise you with innovative thoughts or optimum solutions to distracting problems.

That’s why pottering is an important skill to cultivate and something you shouldn’t overlook or dismiss under the banner of not having time.

As you go through the next few weeks, try to consciously make potter pockets of time and once you’ve done a few, you’ll find that problems seem slightly lighter and ideas seem to be coming in more easily for you.

Why not try it and see - I’d love to hear how you get on, let’s share our experiences below!

Thank you for reading and thank you for listening.