Culture Syndicates CIC

This month we are musing on the theme of wellbeing, taking inspiration from Stress Awareness Month and World Health Day. It is a little shorter this month as we try to catch up with the start of Spring and find new directions. Meditations Marcus Aurelius  "Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now thou usest for present things." on worry & anxiety This collection of writings from Aurelius, once Emperor of Rome, the book is more accurately titled "To Himself" and is a random collection of short Stoic reflections on things like life, friendship, and enduring hardship. It's quite a small book and is ideal to pick during your commute, lunch break, or bedtime. On Solitude Michel de Montaigne "When I dance, I dance; when I sleep, I sleep; yes, and when I walk alone in a beautiful orchard, if my thoughts drift to far-off matters for some part of the time for some other p...

"How do you know if someone is a runner?" "Don't worry; they'll tell you." As little as 18 months ago, I would have definitely been guilty of crack ing the joke above . However, yesterday I bought my third ‘proper’ pair of running shoes, which meant today was ‘new running shoes” day and I was actually excited. Yes, I was excited because nice, new , shiny things are always exciting, aren’t they? But actually, there is a bit more to this; running for me has become symbolic of ‘the journey’. It’s not really about running at all. Let me share my story and explain what I mean. In March 2020, I was awarded a fully funded PhD with the University of Derby. I was, and a l ways will be, eternally grateful for this opportunity. Deep down inside of me, tucked away behind what you are supposed to say you want when you are a 40-something year old teacher, was an enduring ambition to do a doctorate. It was so buried that I’d almost forgotten about it. (Almost…) The o...

When we talk about well-being it is likely to be reflecting the experiences over the last two years following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Children, young people and adults have experienced conditions such as anxiety, stress, overwhelm, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.  1. Walking I really enjoy walking. I walk 360 days a year! The walks vary from going to and from the office in the centre of Nottingham to walks around my locality or going to places both new and familiar to take in the scenery. I find the process of walking relaxing, as it helps with my breathing and keeps me fit. It focuses my attention on the here and now, listening to bird song, the sounds of movement and watching. My river walks are guaranteed to make me smile as I listen to the ducks or geese, watching them take off, fly and land. I actually find being close to water therapeutic. The sound water makes and the movement helps me to feel peaceful. 2. Photography  I am lucky e...

Introduction by Amy Wilcockson Whenever I see a little yellow-headed sunny daffodil, whether it is planted in someone’s garden waving to and fro in the wind, or displayed in a supermarket, it is inevitable that I think of one man. I suspect that many people do. William Wordsworth (1770-1850), the epitome of the Romantic poet, shall be forever linked with this small commonplace flower, and remembered for his astounding descriptions of the Lake District and natural world . Alongside his friend, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Wordsworth reshaped poetry. In a contrast t o the more formal Augustan poetry of the late eighteenth century, Wordsworth’s poetry was fluid, and his subject matters that of nature, emotions based on real life, and normal people. Wordsworth and Coleridge’s 1798 poetical collection Lyrical Ballads was seen as an experiment, an insight into how real, working-class people spoke and thought. The new and innovative poetical ideas contained in this volume and Wordsworth’s ...