Pottering: A Cure for Modern Life

McGovern, a digital producer for the BBC, suggests in her delightful debut that pottering is an ideal cure for the hectic and overwhelming demands of modern society. McGovern defines pottering as a way in which one can go about small tasks to help simplify one’s needs, add a meditative element to everyday life, or to simply make order of one’s surroundings: “The consequence of pottering—a feeling of relaxation and contentment—is usually achieved when you make do with what you’ve got, get moving but don’t go too far, don’t try too hard and keep it digital-free.” McGovern recommends starting with “a small domestic task that recurs in a regular cycle,” like drinking tea, flossing, cleaning, organizing one’s closet, and then moving from one to the next to produce the feeling of taking control of one’s life through small steps. Finding the time to do something intentionally but purposelessly allows readers, McGovern writes, to reconnect with themselves and build upon accomplishments productively. McGovern’s steady, bright prose and clear-eyed suggestions fill the book: “Pottering is not glamorous. Pottering is not a lifestyle concept, and does not take practice. Just be.” Those who have tried their hand at hygge, lagom, coorie and the like will find themselves right at home here. (Oct.)