Autumn Vibes & Self-Care

Of dramatic sunrises, hedgehogs and taking your time

Hello, I’m Claudia, and Happy Quiet Life is where I share my view on the world as a Highly Sensitive Person. You’ll find reflections and stories about slowing down & living simpler, reconnecting with nature, mental health & self-care, books & reading adventures. Welcome!

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A sneezing in the hedge

When I sat on the patio at sunrise, a clear blue sky above, watching pigeons, blackbirds and a magpie flying over the garden, enjoying the tits’ songs and the sparrows’ chilps, there suddenly was a rustling noise behind me. Leaves and a twig moved and then there was a sneeze coming from the hedge. The tiniest and gentlest of a sneeze and then another. Leaves were rearranged. The small heap got bulkier. It rustled again. Then silence.

I got on my knees to peer under the hedge. Nothing. Just a bulky heap of leaves.

I smiled. I hope the hedgehog has made itself comfortable. I won’t disturb it. No worries to tiptoe on this corner of the patio until it’s fast asleep for the day.

Shhh! Hedgehog asleep …

I know that we have quite some hedgehogs in the neighbourhood and also in the garden. My husband once followed one to the long hedge surrounding our garden and was met with several stares from a whole group. He almost stepped into Hedgehog Headquarters (and retreated silently).

They drink from the bird bath on the patio with their front feet in the water and have been known for tipping it over sometimes. Every morning I find their droppings on the patio. But I rarely see the creatures. This season I haven’t seen them at all.

They slip under the fence from the garden next door. A neighbour a few doors down has been known as “The Hedgehog Woman” in our small town for decades. She has nursed and tended to so many tiny and ill hedgehogs, fed them, even took the baby ones to the warmth of her bed. She still has hedgehog houses and I’m sure our visitors or residents come from her garden. The neighbour liked to pick feather moss from our front lawn for the young ones because we are the only ones here without a super tidy and perfected garden (her words).

Jule, the Jack Russell terrier of my late mother-in-law, went haywire whenever she saw a hedgehog crossing the patio in twilight or at night. She would sit in the living-room at the patio’s door, peering outside and waiting for these strange creatures to appear on her turf. We had to let her outside when she spotted one, she made all the spectacle with barking and jumping up and down every time. The hedgehogs, however, were unfazed by this, curled up into a ball and waited for the dog to stop wondering what these spiky stones were and where the animals had gone. Those were the days … It’s much quieter here now for hedgehogs.

Photo by Piotr Łaskawski on Unsplash

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When replanting perennials is actually self-care

I replanted perennials. From where I’ve been sitting each morning, I could quietly observe what still fitted, what got too big, what wasn’t in the right place any more. I tried other layouts in my head, finding new spots for the plants that might suit them better. The tall, sturdy, yellow ones further back. The delicate, white oenothera lindheimeri further forward. A brand new spot (and chance) for the phlox to strive.

The sun was barely up at 7.15 am when I decided to grab a spade and do it now. Still in my pyjamas (with sweatpants and a hoodie over them). The neighbours might be used by now to the sight of me at sunrise digging, trimming, weeding, planting - when they make their first coffee in the kitchens of their apartments in the block overlooking our garden. I used to shy away from behaving so weird (a little relapse of social anxiety I once suffered from flaring up again), but now I don’t really care.

Fifty minutes later and being sweaty and thirsty, I was quite content. Not only with the new layout, but that I used my currently pretty limited energy for doing what mattered most to me today. Preparing the flowerbeds for autumn, using the quiet time of the early hours and getting my hands dirty in the soil. Nothing beats that feeling. I’m pleased. I started the day not only with good intentions for self-care (and my garden), I acted on them. I feel good. No matter what the day brings and how limited my energy for it may be, I’m happy with how I used it.

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Spectacular sunrises

It’s the season of stunning sunrises. Especially with all the clouds lighted up from below. I’ve become quite addicted to being outside at sunrise. Not because of the spectacle (although it sometimes takes my breath away), but to welcome every single new day. I actually raise my arms, smile and breathe in deeply. I need the open sky over my head first thing. Who would have thought?

If I feel ready and have the energy, I go for a walk early in the morning, regardless of the weather. It is rewarding in one way or another, and I have never come back wishing I hadn’t gone. (Well, except for once, when I had a panic attack and almost fainted in the middle of the street. That wasn’t pleasant, but I made it through and got home safely.) There’s all sorts of beauty to be found, just looking up or looking down and especially looking closer. When I need a destination for my walk, I often head for the Little Free Library near the cemetary to donate a book or two and to enjoy browsing for something unexpected I’d like to read.

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Small moments & micro habits

The last sunflower: She took her time, it’s the start of October, but she made it, and she was the only one that made it at all from the seeds I planted at various places. She took the slow route, but was tenacious, unfazed and patient - and she got there eventually.

I have to take my time too. To rest, to recover, to heal. To be able to flourish again.

Looking for the small moments of joy, noticing the moments I reacted differently or took care of myself, didn’t wear myself out, stopped at the first sign of overwhelm, paused. As long as I needed.

Small moments of peace and joy throughout the day can do a lot. When everything is okay, just for this moment, even if my heart is still beating too fast and I feel tense.

Here’s what I’m focusing on right now:

• Mono-tasking

• Slowing down! (When I think I am slow, I go even slower.)

• Being mindful and very present with what I’m doing

• Focusing on positive, relaxing, happy things

• Laughter

• Gentle movement

• Being kind to myself

• Noticing when I feel overwhelmed, and then pause

• Trying to soften, even a little bit, thoughout the day

• Easing through instead of working harder and pushing through. (That’s the most tricky one …)

• Trust (Or maybe this is the most difficult one …)

If it might be quieter here for a while, you know that I’m resting, recovering, hibernating, putting my list of self-care micro habits to good use.

Have a beautiful autumn! 🍂🍁☕

(Or a beautiful spring, of course, if you are in the southern hemisphere. Enjoy!)

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