LYNNE’S COLUMN
By September many of us will have had our main holidays, children are back to school and students are starting a new term, maybe even a whole new chapter in their lives. The words “back to school” are often dreaded and viewed as a slightly sad time – the end of a long summer break and a return to the old routine. But it’s also a chance to embrace a whole new routine so if we can reframe it less in terms of “back” to something old and more as “starting” something new it already starts to sound more positive. Every parent knows that starting school or university is a huge milestone for their children but also a huge shift in schedule for the whole family. Even just starting a new school year brings new weekly timetables and patterns to be adjusted to – the perfect chance to carve out a new schedule. You may now have to factor in a school run – an added chance for some fresh air and exercise. If you no longer have to accompany kids to school, maybe look at adjusting your working hours slightly or tweaking your own journey to work. If you have time to kill between children’s activities, go for a walk or a swim, a trip to the library or even just a coffee and a @KonectMagazines
read of a good book or magazine. Shopping and housework will wait for you and you will have more energy and enthusiasm to do them once you’ve had a little me-time. Even the smallest changes can have huge benefits and it doesn’t take long to break in new habits, especially if they benefit us in some way
And who said back to school was just for kids? Everything from Art to Yoga via exotic cookery and woodwork can be enjoyed by adults in Edinburgh. I’ve dabbled in a few classes in my time including photography, curtain making, genealogy and life coaching. Admittedly, the closest I’ve made it to becoming a professional photographer is having a couple of images I snapped on my phone displayed in the waiting room at Colinton Surgery, it’s been a few years since I last curtained a window and my family tree is still rather bereft of branches but each class was about more than that. Each gave me something
positive to focus on for a few hours each week that was entirely for myself, a reason to get up and out of the house and a chance to meet new people who shared the same interests. Have a think about little changes you can make to your routines to put some pizzazz back in your step. Why not take a look at the Clubs & Classes pages for some inspiration for new hobbies and interests as the nights start to draw in? This article was contributed by Lynne Arnott. Lynne has lived in Colinton for the past 9 years with her husband and 2 kids. THE DELL | 19
