It’s a beautiful day!

When we are busy, it’s so easy to just keep our heads down working through our in-boxes, focusing on the next action in our ’To do’ list. As we move away from the summer into the autumn/winter, it’s so important to take advantage of these moments when the sun shines, to go outside and enjoy the fresh air, no matter how brief.

Here are some of our suggestions of ways of enjoying sunny days.

1. Throw open all the windows and let the air circulate throughout your home.

2. Plan to take several breaks during the day, not just at lunchtime and go outside, breathe deeply, walk slowly and observe what’s around you.

3. Take a camera, or use your phone and set yourself a challenge to capture certain things, it might be items of a particular colour, shapes of the alphabet, you could do this over a number of days. Or capture a view to draw, or paint later.

4. Instead of eating at your desk, visit a local park, or open space, take time to rest awhile, read a book, take a sketchpad, draw what you see.

5. Find somewhere peaceful to visit, spend time sitting quietly reflecting on what you see, take your time walking back.

6. Go into your garden, spend time doing a task that you have been putting off doing, enjoy being outside in the sun, when completed sit and relax with a drink.

7. Share a meal, or a drink with your family or friends, enjoy time together sitting outside. If collecting children from school don’t go home immediately take them somewhere to enjoy being outside.

8. If you don’t have a garden, think about creating a balcony, or window sill collection, visit your local garden centre, or order online and make a start on creating your own mini-garden. See our review of Modern Container Gardening by Isabelle Palmer which is full of brilliant ideas to make the most of the smallest space.

 9. If you have a garden pick flowers, or foliage and spend time arranging them. If you don’t have a garden visit your local florist and choose a selection of uplifting colours that capture the spirit of a beautiful day, if you pass a charity or vintage shop, look for an unusual or beautiful vase to arrange them in.

10. If outside space is limited, sit inside by a window with a book, and a drink and breathing in the fresh air, relax, perhaps have a nap.

11. Think about making an autumnal treat – apple tart, baked apples, toffee apples, or chutney. Look in our Food Category for our suggestions of delightful cookery books.

12. If your day is too full to do anything but just survive, try and do everything you can to rearrange your days so you can enjoy the next sunny day, or perhaps  plan to take a late autumn break.