A gentle guide to May: finding stillness in the season of bloom
May often feels like the year’s soft turning point - the gentle pause between the bright beginning of spring and the warmth of summer’s arrival. Gardens unfurl in quiet colour, the evenings stretch longer, and everywhere, there’s a quiet invitation to notice our surroundings, soften and slow down.
In a season so alive with bloom, it can be tempting to rush ahead - to make plans, to fill the days, to be busy. But May, in all its quiet abundance, offers us a different rhythm. One of calm mornings, small joys, and meaningful rituals.
So here’s a gentle guide to embracing the pace of May - with simple seasonal practices to anchor your days and open your senses.
Early Morning Moments
Begin your day slowly, before the world demands too much of you. Step outside with a cup of tea. Feel the sun on your face. Watch the light shift through leaves or the way shadows stretch across the garden. Even five minutes of stillness can set the tone for a gentler day. Slow living often begins before breakfast.
A Seasonal Soundtrack
Take a moment to tune into nature’s playlist - the trill of the morning chorus, the soft rustle of new leaves, the steady hum of bees at work. May hums with life, if you’re quiet enough to hear it. For those pottering moments indoors, or those of us who live in busy cities, consider curating your own “May playlist” - soft instrumentals, nature sounds, or anything that brings the outside in while you cook, write, or simply rest.
Rituals of the Table
There’s a quiet joy in eating seasonally. Think: new potatoes with butter and herbs, the first strawberries of the year, edible flowers tossed into salads. Try eating one meal a week outdoors, or slow down the pace by cooking something with time and care - a pie, a loaf of bread, or a simple dish with whatever’s fresh and local. The table becomes a place of grounding, of returning.
Writing in Bloom
Let the season inspire your letter writing. Describe the garden outside your window, or a nearby park, the scent of lilac or cut grass, or the way the light looks at 8pm. Write to a friend, or to your future summer self. Tell them what you’re noticing, what you’re planting - literally or metaphorically - and what you hope might grow. Letter writing becomes a kind of seasonal journaling: reflective, grounding, quietly connective.
A May Day Basket
Consider reviving the old tradition of the May Day basket - a small bundle of flowers or homemade treats, left anonymously on a neighbour’s doorstep or sent in the post. It’s a simple, beautiful gesture that reminds us of the joy in giving - and the magic in being thought of.
A Gentle Evening Routine
As the evenings stretch out, try reclaiming your night-time hours. Step away from screens. Open the windows. Light a candle. Read something just for pleasure. Sit quietly and let your thoughts settle. May’s long light is a gentle reminder that not every moment must be filled - some are meant to be savoured.
In a world that urges us to go faster, May quietly invites us to go slower - to look, to listen, and to be present in the moment. Perhaps that is the real luxury of the season.