Earlier this summer, I pressed “Publish” on a few posts in a little series I called “Walking With Earbuds in Clothes near Gardens”. . . at least, that was the title of one of the posts (another one here, if you’re catching up). . . . I’m going to try to resume that series today–sharing what I wore and what I learned from podcasts while walking in my neighbourhood, while there are still a few weeks of good weather left. . .
I don’t intend a series of walks wearing the same outfit, though — that was just a coincidence! A pleasing one to me, actually. Clothes I love, fewer of them, worn more often: that was my sartorial goal this year (see this post and this one), and Covid-19 has moved the goalposts closer. . . After all, variety (already implicated in the fashion world’s contribution to climate change and its often egregious labour practices) is even less necessary when our most exciting weekly outing is to the grocery store. (Immediate confession, however: I did make a few purchases in the late summer sales. Might even show you a few in the next while — you know, since no one else is likely to see them these days.)
Last time I posted this outfit, I wore it with Birkenstocks; this time, the weather’s a bit cooler and I’m walking a bit further, so supportive sneakers and good socks. . .
Perfect walking weather this last week or so; apparently we have a bit more of the same ahead. . . .
Still, Summer is tipping into Fall, as these seed-heads testify (I love the sculptural botanical wonder of Autumn — so many gorgeous shapes and textures!). . . and our nights are cooling now, even if the days are still warm.
On my 7-kilometre loop I listened to an Italian podcast I’ll tell you about next post. Today, let me share some notes I jotted back in July about a French podcast called Français Authentique.
The particular episode was titled 7 Choses à Faire Chaque Jour — 7 Things to Do Each Day (also available on YouTube, and with a transcription, here
1. Bouger — Move (Walk, Run, Yoga, Cycle, Bend and Stretch. . . Just Move!)
2. Se Reposer — Rest (and Johan explains the importance of getting enough sleep each day)
3. Respirer — Breathe (by which he means pausing through the day to take deep, calming breaths, even if just for a minute or two, as a way of controlling emotion and lessening stress, of being in one’s body)
4. Lire — Read (like me, Johan believes in the value of reading and holds it among the seven activities fundamental to his days
5. Capturer mes idées — Capture my ideas (particularly about what I’m reading, but all those thoughts that can seem so insightful, even important — and then somehow can’t be reconstituted the next day, our brilliant synthesis lost forever)
6. Réfléchir — Reflect on what we’ve learned, thought, and experienced through the day
7. Se connecter avec les autres–Connect with others
I regularly use my journal to capturer mes idées (and I often combine bouger with réfléchir on my walks). And as you might imagine, this blog is often a place for me to “Capture My Ideas,” to “Reflect” upon them, and also, of course, to “Connect with Others”. . .
I’m not sure why this particular podcast stuck with me; I don’t generally listen to (and rarely read) its self-help kin in English, but the simple, clear advice appealed to me in the turbulence we’re all confronting now. And since September is, for me as for many of us, the time of new beginnings or, at least, of re-entry, I thought perhaps these Sept Choses A Faire Chaque Jour might resonate for you right now as well.
Let me know if they do, would you? Do the seven items on this list happen in most of your days? If not, why not — and would/will you consider making more space to include the missing more regularly? If you think it’s worthwhile to “capture your ideas,” how do you do that? As well, perhaps some of you listen to English podcasts that you find useful for personal development or for centering yourself these days. Other readers might like to know what these are and why you find them useful. . . .
You get the idea — mic’s open for you, in the comments section. I’m listening. . .
And stay tuned for another report about What I Wore and What I Listened To. . . Coming up soon. . .
Capturing one's ideas is an interesting addition to a daily routine. I would tend to write things down in my journal, or on a list somewhere, or perhaps veer off in another direction and take a photo. Ideas can be fleeting things and not all need capturing. And I wonder what the purpose of capturing ideas is to the author of the podcast? Action? Matière pour refléchir? C'est tout à fait intéressant.
On another tack, I sometimes find lists such as these a burden to my days, as if I am failing myself or some other person if I neglect to complete everything. Do you find that at all?
I try to ensure my day includes some form of regular exercise usually walking or yoga, something creative like painting, drawing or sewing, a bit of gardening and some guitar practice. I like to end the day by reading. I find I don’t have to do all of these things for prolonged periods, sometimes just snippets of time are enough to get me feeling better. This works for me and definitely goes a long way towards keeping me off the couch and watching the dreaded tv. I think it’s all about keeping your brain active and taking short refresher breaks.
I love this list! So simple, yet so important, yes? I do most of these daily – though I find that often Capturer mes idées and Réfléchir get tangled up together in my morning pages practice. Perhaps I'll try adding an evening page right before bed – it would be interesting to see if it changes what comes out in the morning!
Perfect seven which I feel reflects my retired life. Maybe not as much reflection possibly but then sometimes that can drag you down with negative thoughts. Blogging is certainly a good way to communicate with others but maybe I should do more note taking particularly as I read . Just noted some very profound thoughts about a woman’s guilt about not being around for her mother when she was alive; a recurrent theme in many peoples lives I guess about keeping in touch and regretting when it’s too late. B x
Lovely to have you blogging again Frances. Just catching up – left a very belated comment on your Money Memoir post and now rushing to read this and comment before the builders arrive for the day! That sounds a podcast to tempt me. It's a different experience somehow listening to podcasts in French. I don't know if I'm less critical about content because I'm just loving listening to the French? I say this because I listened to something on France Bleu Gironde lately about a woman with a tree hugging business – taking people out into the forests near Bordeaux and introducing them to how to hug a tree correctly. One has to ask the tree's permission. I found myself nodding in agreement – she spoke such elegant French – whereas in English I would probably be saying "pull the other one". Of the 7 choses, I do all except capture your ideas. The closest I get now is a garden journal, but emotions and impressions and musings go unrecorded. In my youth I seemed to do nothing else, and I regret that facility of expression I had then. I somehow feel blocked in doing that now.
I love that list too. The pausing to breath, really breath, is something I struggled to learn during stressful times. I'm better at it now. Pausing, taking a deep breath, and as Stu says, bringing my shoulders down from up around my ear. I mean much of the hurry,hurry we do is self-inflicted. Reading of course is essential for me as I know it is for you. What would we do without books, eh?
To pick up on what what Carol said about writing and reflecting. So often they are the same thing. I thought that's what "morning pages" were all about, as much reflection as recording. Just letting your pen go where your brain tells it to without trying too hard to over think what you're writing. Actually that's not an easy thing to do, is it?
Anyway… enjoy your walk. I'm off for mine as soon as I finish my tea, and find a hat to control my wild white locks. Ha.
I agree that a well balanced day for me would include those 7 things. Bouger seems my most challenging these days because my walking friend is unavailable. Reading is essential. I'm reading Girl, Woman, Other right now along with a nonfiction book. Enjoy your walk!
For the next five months (through end of January, at least), four days a week will be spent overseeing my first grader grandson's virtual schooling at my home. Must say–with a laugh–it is exhausting! Massive kudos to teachers–such a lot of work trying to corral the focus of kiddos whose attention spans (on screen) rival a gnat. Will have to find time to breathe, write (other than homework lessons), etc., etc. sometime later in the day as he arrives around 7 am. Exercise now consists of playing hallway kickball with grandson (hopefully, without knocking the pictures off the wall) during various 15 minute class breaks. Find this helps alleviate the amount of wiggle-twisting during class sessions–for both of us! Reading (or listening to audio books) is my major escape during the evenings. 🙂
Lorrie: If you've got a few minutes, I did link to the transcript of that episode and I know you're very fluent in French. I know what you mean about these kinds of lists, and I normally don't pay too much attention as I'm already one to get too bogged down feeling "to-do"s. . . But somehow this appealed as loosely formalizing some principles that work for me. I like their generality, I guess (and it doesn't hurt that they're almost all habitual for me, and the one that's not — Respirer — is one I really need to cultivate.
Buttercup: Yes, I think it's all about finding what works for each of us, and these are good guiding principles (and luckily for me, they leave room for that couch time as well — I do enjoy my Netflix (and Acorn and . . . 😉 as well. . .
Carol: Exactly so: simple and/but important. Flexible guidance. I know what you mean about the reflecting/capturing ideas morning vs. evening. Not sure I want to add another writing session to my day 😉 Think I'll have to trust to the fallow time.
B/Ripples: Glad the list resonates with you. I know what you mean about reflection (I can go to the anxiety/negative side easily), but of course reflection can be about gratitude as well. Curious to know about your reading, sounds very relevant to some thinking/writing I did a couple of years ago regarding my own mother.
Linda: Yes! This is exactly the case with me. I would never have bothered with a personal development podcast in English, but filtered through French, I'm finding some of these quite useful, or at least enlightening. Have a particular favourite I should share shortly. I wonder if, since a few of us are getting stuck at "capturing our ideas," there might be ways that we do this — or could do it — that are more fluid, less traditional, than writing them down. I suspect you're even capturing some ideas in your planting, for example. Just a thought. . .
Se connecter avec les autres is difficult these days. It has always been difficult for me, working from home and living in a small village. I could go on hourlong walks and not see a soul. But I do connect with my BFF every day, and that is great. News and reading work crowd out my pleasure reading. I really need to open a good book. But there's surely another article about some hefty issue that I NEED to know. It's like gorging, but instead of food, it's information.
Podcasts:
Francophiles might like "The Earful Tower" (about France, in English).
C'est Dans l'Air is a nightly TV news magazine, in French, just with audio. They irritate me because the panelists tend to talk over each other. Also, they do interstitial "man on the street" pieces that can be weird without the video.
Spla$h is an economics podcast in French. A different universe compared with Anglo-Saxon orthodoxy. Very enlightening.
The Allusionist is about words, meaning, etymology, culture. Fascinating. In English.
Everything Is Real is people doing improv being interviewed as inanimate objects. Totally off the wall and proof that humans are incredibly creative.
Otherwise I listen to about a dozen news podcasts. (loser!) At 2x speed to keep up with the volume.
The 7 things is a wonderful list, and quite do-able if one is intentional. That makes all the difference for me, being intentional about everything from reading to cooking and time management, with plenty of spontaneity thrown in. Thanks to another comment for the reminder to subscribe to The Earful Tower podcasts – I've been meaning to for a while now. I'm not good enough in other languages to listen to podcasts, but I do have several folks I follow on social media & blogs purely to keep my hand in French, German and Italian.
The clothes in my closet mourn forlornly. I whisper to them "soon, babies, soon…." I just hope I can still fit into them if the time ever comes!
Sue B: Cannot imagine being without books, letting a day go by without reading. . . And yes, I think there's considerable overlap as we "capture our ideas" and reflect on what we've experienced and thought, especially when we do that in writing.
Mme: I hope you enjoy Girl, Woman, Other as much as I did! As for walking without a friend, that's my usual practice — hence the podcasts. I'd love to have someone here to walk with, as I did in my old neighbourhood, but it hasn't happened yet, and Covid's made it even more unlikely.
Mary: Good luck with that! What a big undertaking — a wonderful opportunity to build your relationship with your grandson, but also challenging and potentially exhausting. Still, I suspect you'll develop some tricks for grabbing some independent time, which will be good for both of you. I'll be curious to hear how it goes.
I, too, find lists of things to do "each day" a bit daunting. But I admit that Breathing is always a very good idea, I should do that more often.
looking forward to hearing more about your Italian podcast.
I was just thinking the other day about starting a journal- this time for real. I have a desk calendar,with my to-do lists,appointments,capturing some of my ideas,goals and plans (and some of them are captured and scattered in a lot of other places),but after the "death" of my mobile phone a couple of months ago,it seems more and more necessary to have all of it in one notebook as well.
Dottoressa
Mercie de me connecter a francais authentique et a l'episode 7 Choses a Faire Chaque Jour. J'essaie deja de tout faire sur sa liste mais cela m'a inspire a etre plus intentionnel avec numeros 3 et 5. (Mon ordinator n'a pas les accents – desole).
slf