It’s 8am on a Sunday morning as I write and I am sitting alone in the kitchen. I am watching the steam curl upwards from the kettle which has just boiled for my coffee. The late summer, early autumn fog is sitting silently outside and the sunbeams are streaming through the garden. I can hear the girls playing happily upstairs. The sea sounds close today. And as I look up from my laptop, I look out onto a clean kitchen table. And it makes me breathe more easily. It really does have a physical impact.

What a good moment – Coldplay on, the thin fog outside making the garden look like it’s sleeping, birdsong, the sea rolling in and out, and open, spacious surfaces.

Amazing how since I started reading up about Minimalism even small changes have started to make a difference. Clearing out a drawer here, a bag there, repeatedly removing accumulated mess from one table in the kitchen. Living in a clutter-free space honestly does impact on my state of mind. I feel physically lighter. The connection between material stuff and my body and mind is strong.

I have started to prioritize things with more ease. I stop my work and hold the hand of my youngest who comes to stand next to me reaching for my hand.  I put down my laptop and watch my eldest who is practicing cartwheels. I hug the dog. I choose a short walk rather than more time spent staring a screen. I make pancakes with the girls rather than checking Instagram. Somehow the days are simplifying simply by my being more mindful.

My path towards living a more simple life seems to be getting easier to follow. I have so much more clearing out and cleaning up to do. But I feel firmly as if I have started. And although my Insta feed might not be all minimalist grey and white yet – my colourful life seems to be becoming simpler.