Finding Heiter and the little things

With Katharina Geissler-Evans

Welcome to Resurface, with me, Tamzin Merivale.

I’m an intuitive artist, writer and mentor, and this space is for creating deeper connections not only to others, but to parts of ourselves that have been forgotten, neglected, or are waiting to be discovered. My mission is to show you just how much you light up the world a round you, simply by existing.

I’m here to see the unseen, to hear the unheard, to bear witness.

You can learn more about how I do this here.

Today I’m joined by Katharina Geissler-Evans, founder and editor-in-chief of independent publication, heiter. Katharina is also a (sustainable) fashion stylist and joyful living advocate. Together with her husband Ben and their two children, she currently lives in an old Austrian farmhouse. For those of you who don’t know, heiter translates to “cheerful” or “joy”.

Last year, Katharina asked me to write an article about a topic that is still very much at the forefront of my daily life — one that pinches my edges and makes my gut twinge. Writing the article led to many realisations and continues to spark conversation among friends and strangers, and has become even more relevant today.

If you’d like to read that article and many more, the next print issue of Heiter Magazine is due out soon, but to make sure it goes to print, we need pre-orders.

Katharina has kindly created a discount code: insert “TAMZIN” at checkout for free shipping, until the end of June.

Pre-order your copy here! It will exceed your expectations.

“The beautifully curated, 96-page publication comes with an array of interviews, essays, fashion editorials, photography, how-to pieces, prompts, and more. It will inspire and guide you and help you get closer to finding home within yourself, in your work, or perhaps in a new country.”

Finding Heiterkeit, even in the worst moments

By Katharina Geissler-Evans

In late 2015 I found myself in an extremely stressful situation and felt completely overwhelmed. Even though I had struggled with my mental health before, I had never felt the way I was feeling at that point. I was so exhausted that it affected me not just mentally, but also physically.

Being a twenty-something, I had tried so hard to do it all. I thought I needed to prove that I was good enough; to myself, to the people around me, to work and university. At the time, I worked full-time for one of the biggest fashion retailers in the world, and attended university in the evenings and weekends. I wanted to perform well and show that I was capable of succeeding at both. My husband and I had a pretty toxic living situation — we were never sure if we could stay in our flat. On top of that, my relationships began to break down, simply because I wasn’t able to invest time in them. I was constantly stressed, tired and self-care was long forgotten.

It felt like I was running down a never-ending road, up until my health began to fail. From one day to the next, I became incapable of writing; a nightmare, given that I had to write for my work and to finish university. I had to stop everything I had been doing.

The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong, so I was forced to take a break for several weeks. My employer told me that they would stop paying me, and my tutor at university implied that I would fail my year if there was no improvement. I tried to come up with solutions and seek help from others but nothing seemed to work. I was devastated and fell into a deep depression — I couldn’t see a way out of my situation and I wanted to give up.

One evening I found myself on the bathroom floor, crying. I don’t know why something changed in that moment, but I suddenly realised that I was the only one who could get myself out of that rut. I was the only one who could make myself better.

That night I made the decision to enjoy life again. I went to bed and slept properly for the first time in weeks. The morning after I took myself out for coffee, bought myself flowers and went for a long walk along the river. Once back home, I watched a movie that made me laugh and the day after I immersed myself in a creative activity. It took me a while to unwind and unlearn — what seemed more important at that time had to be put aside, and instead I had to focus on having fun and being playful. After a few days I felt like my old self was coming back. I was happier and my health began to improve.

Mindfully looking for and enjoying moments of joy made such a big difference, those moments had given me a new lease of life. I was so amazed and excited about my experience that I wanted to share it with others. That is how heiter came about, and that is the reason why Heiterkeit adds joy to my life.

Don’t get me wrong, my life is not perfect. I still struggle to strike the right balance between working & carving out enough time for people I love. I still struggle to keep in touch with myself and plan in time for self-care. I even struggle to be focused on Heiterkeit sometimes, but I remember. I remember how I felt back then and what got me out of it. I remember, and that helps to be aware of heiter moments, even during a pandemic, even on the days I feel like I am failing as a mum, wife and business owner. I remember, and that makes me appreciate lunch with my family and hearing my kids happily play. It gives me energy when sharing my learnings through heiter, no matter if that’s through the heiter print publication, heiter workshops and events or The Heiter Society (a membership that helps members feel happier in their lives). It makes it easier to stop and admire our garden, and it reminds me to consciously enjoy that first cup of coffee every morning.

You might wonder why I am telling you all of this? I am telling you all of the above because there are a few things I’d like you to remember. You can be heiter, even when things around you don’t always go right and the world is in chaos. Heiterkeit is achievable. It is a matter of opening your eyes and heart and allowing yourself to let “heiter moments” in. All you need to do is give them a chance. 

What heiter activity could you do today?

How might it make you feel if you gave yourself little doses of heiterkeit every day?

Thanks so much again to Katharina, remember to pre-order your copy and apply TAMZIN as a discount code at the checkout!

Until next week,

Tamzin xx