In my very first apartment that I lived in on my own without anyone else to share, I had a giant clawfoot tub. I could lie in it full length, submerge myself to just my nose and still have room to move my feet.

I loved that tub. On hot humid days, I would run a tepid bath and get cool. On cold winter days, when I thought I would never thaw out from -30C temps, a hot bath would bring me back to life.

Later, as the mom of an active child who was always on the run, a shower refreshed and energized me sufficiently to launch myself into the next adventure with my delightful toddler.

These days, hot showers or baths serve to soothe aching muscles after a workout or a steady three hours in the garden or house doing clean up. I have also found they are great wakeups in the morning and great relaxers for the end of the day.

If you need 15 minutes peace, a shower will give you that. Need 30 minutes, have a bath. If you feel so inclined, add some plain epsom salts (cheap and effective) to ease tension.

Not inclined to a bath or shower? If the weather is good, go for a walk and find running water. there’s nothing liker the sound of water running over rocks or waves breaking on a shore to soothe the jangles and ease the wrinkles in your head space.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a rut. The familiar can be safe and comfortable, but at times, it can also be frustrating. If you are feeling unsettled, yet you are not sure what to do, you may find trying something new is the nudge you need.

If you always take the same path, you may miss subtle changes in the landscape, literally and metaphorically. Instead of going right, go left. Cross the street to the other side instead of sticking to the sidewalk. Pick a romance instead of a mystery, or fiction vs non fiction. Read a book instead of watching a tv show. Try yoga instead of skipping.

Routines can be very helpful for simplifying daily tasks and reducing the stress of choice. However, trying something new can give you a boost of energy. The mother of a friend of mine was always fond of telling us “a change is as good as a rest,” and she was right. The changes don’t have to be huge; small tweaks forward, what the Japanese call kaizen as steps to continuous improvement, can make a difference. Remember, your life is not a one-way street.

Years ago I worked with a lovely woman, who used to change the message on her answering machine every Friday and advise her callers that she was away at the cottage. One day, I asked her where her cottage was located as she lived in a different province from mine. “Oh, I don’t have one,” she said cheerfully. “I just put that message on so people will leave me alone.”

Now I don’t have a cottage either, but I do try to unplug, to take a social media sabbatical, if you like. Early in the pandemic there was lots of chatter about doomscrolling. Wired Magazine did an interesting piece on how doomscrolling won’t stop the apocalypse from happening, but it will affect how prepared you are mentally to deal with it.

So here’s a few ways you can unplug from the radical to the simple.

1. Delete your accounts.
2. Snooze your accounts.
3. Keep your accounts but delete them from your device.
4. Mute, unfollow or remove people from your social media feeds.
5. Let people know you are taking a break. You can put an away message on your email, or answer phone. You can remove text notifications and other alerts that beep, tinkle, or sing.
6. If you need to maintain contact, set aside a specific time of day and a specific amount of time for the check-ins.
7. Charge your phone somewhere out of reach, or even better, out of your bedroom.

Worried about what to do without your phone? Try a new activity (or one you haven’t been able to do as much of because of the doomscrolling). Try taking a walk, reading a book or magazine with paper, or picking up the phone and calling someone (instead of zooming). If you are handy, make something. If you are not, make a list of StupidProjects, as my friend terms them, and tackle those.

I am not someone who can draw. I can do little stick people and that’s about it. During the early days of the pandemic, I was on a call when one of the speakers said something that spoke to me. I wrote it down (I’m a compulsive note-taker) and started doodling around it.

I found it relaxing and a useful way to record nuggets of information. Sometimes I filled in spaces with dots; sometimes I drew spirals; sometimes I just changed the colours. I still can’t draw a line (helpful hint: use a ruler!) but I now have a little stack of quotes and ideas filled with colour and random shapes. Engaging in creative play, even with simple materials like a pen or pencil and scrap paper, offers some respite in a busy day.

Matt Haig, the author, tweeted this yesterday:
Matt Haig@matthaig1 Things it’s really ok not to do at Christmas if you don’t fancy it: – drink – eat meat – spend too much – take covid risks – see people who harm your mental health – break your routine – anything at all that makes your health worse. Compulsory fun isn’t always fun. Know thyself.

The underlying message of this tweet is a good reminder this time of year. You do you.

You want to toast your friends with a glass of wine on Zoom, go for it. But, if you don’t drink and a client sent you a bottle of wine, you don’t have to open it. Maybe you prefer mocktails? Or you like to toast with coffee or tea?

You want to participate in a virtual yoga/strength/zumba class at 11 on the 24th but that will make you late for a family Zoom lunch? Do your class and log in late.

Your friends and family are planning to ignore public health advice and gather over the holidays, when they should know better, and you are on the receiving end of a first class guilt trip? Know better and opt out. Covid-19 doesn’t care that it’s turkey time.

You’d rather watch the Small Axe anthology on Amazon Prime than see your uncle on Zoom who reminds you about your “awkward tween years”? Pop some popcorn and watch your show. Or eat cheese, if that’s how you like to do your streaming marathon.

Just remember that there is no time of year, including Christmastime, when you are obliged to eat, drink, do anything that makes you feel bad, in order to make someone else feel better.

Happy YOU for the holidays!