Has anyone else been laid low with a sore throat and a bit of a chest? The last couple of weeks have been like wading through treacle, with very little energy left over for living in any way, let alone with grace, elegance and hygge.

I’ve been in the Doldrums, in other words, and letting the Outside World run my life. February to March is usually my annual low point, especially if it’s a darker or a less sunny March than I would like. Work (office work, not side hustle work) has been relentless and every time I get an empty basket, my Boss fills it with more…. more files, more responsibility, more small actions that make me want to go STOP! and crawl off into a hole.

The cold/chest infection/sore throat was a naggly extra pain I could have done without. And, I don’t know about you, but I kept going through it… I’ll be fine, it’s just a cough/splutter/not enough to kill me.

When all my life has is work at the Desk and sleep, I’ve let myself slide. And I should always know my body will make me stop, whether I have time to or not.

So this Monday I crawled home, into bed and slept from 5pm Monday (bar an hour for tea and Quiz Monday on TV) until noon on Tuesday, when I crept downstairs and sat quietly for another few hours before sleeping early Tuesday night and putting in a rather half-hearted three hours work yesterday. When I came home yesterday I’d reached that antsy stage when you can’t really do anything important, but you have to do something, so I went for a Flylady favourite and shined (shone) my sink. That doesn’t sound right, does it? I set out to shine my sink. (better sense)

Sometimes a little therapeutic housework can be just the thing. I feel so much better today, having a clean sink and a basket of cleaning lotions, powders and sprays now sat waiting to be used. March is always a good time to start afresh, and I’m feeling a bit Mole-ish at the moment. Spring cleaning, here I come. So, for anyone who cares to read it, here is my Homemaking To Do list, no fixed finishing date, to help me get my home clean, clear and ready for some Spring Hygge.

• Brush up all the way around the house. Repot a geranium that has miraculously lasted the winter and find some primroses or primulas to plant in the two pots that sit either side of my door.
• Find a heart decoration to put in the window beside my door. It has a hook on it that I used during Christmas, now empty and forlorn. It’s just the right place to hang a heart plaque or something to remind me every night as I come in how much I love my home.
• Reorganise the Apocalypse Boxes I collected last year in the first throes of the pandemic. I need to circulate the goods that are at risk of going out of date and replace with new Apocabox supplies.
• Use baking soda on all my carpets.. or better yet, hire a carpet cleaner to freshen them up. This may be a long term project, as getting hold of carpet cleaners is a Big Job round here.
• Declutter the winter magazines that I have enjoyed so much over the past couple of months and replace with Spring themed magazines and books. I keep a large concertina folder where I stick pictures I rip out of the magazines and, on quiet evenings, I like to sit and create collages of ideal homes, bedrooms and more.
• Clean the windows. I can’t believe I didn’t put this first! At this time of year the sun starts streaming in at our living room windows and shows every speck of dust, dirt, slimey handprint and other marks. A good half hour with the window vac makes the place sparkle, especially if I wipe it down with a good vinegar spray first.
• Clear all the paper clutter from the bureau we inherited from Peter’s Uncle. I’m shredding what I can, and storing what I can’t in a less convenient place. So much of our paperwork is virtual now, I’m sure I can clear some space up there. I need to reorganise the home organisation folder, as well.

That’s enough for the start. I’ve been watching Diane in Denmark on YouTube. She really is a good inspirational watch, isn’t she? I need another declutter through my house and wardrobe again: unless you watch it like a hawk, it’s so easy for stuff to build up (well, it is for me anyway) and I really have reached the point of life now where more stuff should be going out than ever makes it in. I need to gather my simple living, minimalist or hygge books together and remind myself of my deep purpose for being.

Perhaps I’ll get a chance next week to draw up a list of the hyggely activities I like to do in Spring. Little things like daffodils, decorating and reading books with a greater emphasis on the outside. Every little helps!

Today’s header photo is by Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash. I chose it because although the blossom on the tree in my garden hasn’t yet begun to bloom, I can see the buds… and I did see my first blossom tree yesterday, just driving along. Spring is really here, and that’s good. Time to unfurl and stretch to the sky.

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted to me or bought by me with my everyday wages or donations from supporters. Every book I review has been bought and read by me, unless stated otherwise.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are:

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human.

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better.

If you’d like to support me, but don’t want to buy a book, I have a Paypal.Me account as Hygge Jem. Every little helps, so even a few pence goes towards the books, goods and courses I use and recommend on the site. I’m grateful for every little bit that brings me closer to my dream of full-time writing, and I know I couldn’t still be writing if it weren’t for the support of many readers and friends out there. Thank you all for every little bit of support, emotional, physical and financial, you give me.