Depression Toolkit #3: Alone places

Here are some of my favourite places to be, because I can be alone:

Thetford Forest, off the beaten track

Oxburgh Hall’s new water meadow, while the family take a different route

RSPB Minsmere play area (spotted!)

Did they expect twitchers to need a playground? Did they realise that because it is so quiet there you can see deer too?

Quiet is great. Being alone is great, in short bursts.

At home I am less likely to get away from everything, but it is often easy to be alone when washing up.

And there are bonuses, such as watching the odd Chinese Dragon eating my unsuspecting husband.

And I can also get space to myself in the bath, on the computer or by watching TV or a film. I can go and sit with the guinea pigs for a while and see how they’re doing. They don’t say a lot, are very useful for mowing the lawn and finish all their vegetables.

Children, animals, nature, quiet. All great excuses to get away from grown-up frantic activity. I am impressed that Jesus was also one for getting away to natural spots, even if he had to keep trying because people needed him and he was desperately needing some space to grieve (Matthew 14). If at first you don’t succeed in getting some alone time, try, try, try again.

“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray”

Matthew 14:23a