It seems very fitting that Martha’s Wellness Calendar post for December 23, 2020 was Enjoy a cup of tea.
I was rushing around earlier and suddenly remembered that this post wasn’t ready – I had the videos but no text. I started to rush to write this but, instead, I made myself take a break.
I made an excellent cup of tea, enjoyed a magnificent snack (thanks for the cookies, Trudy and Emma) and just sat at my table, amid bits of wrapping paraphernalia, a couple of gifts, a potted plant that needs a new location, and a stack of things that need to go upstairs.
But just for those few moments, I didn’t let my brain match along my to do list, I just sat and had tea and cookies.
And when I was done, I felt fortified, ready to do the next thing – i.e. this post.
It wasn’t just the tea itself, it wasn’t just the snack, and it wasn’t just the break, like Martha mentioned, it was the whole ritual. The boiling kettle, the steeping tea, the sipping. All of those things came together to give me space to slow down, to prepare for the next thing, to feel ready.
Now, I know that you may not be in charge of your time today. Or your list might be longer or more complex. You may have someone waiting on you who can’t give you the time you need to enjoy a slow cup of tea.
However, I hope you can still find that kind of space, for however short of a time. I hope you can catch your breath in the car, or as you stir the spaghetti sauce, or on the way to the mailbox.
I hope that you can find a little wiggle room and have some ease amidst the chaos – even if you decide not to have tea.
Please remember – you matter, your efforts matter, and you are doing the best that you can with the resources you have.
Please be kind to yourself.
💚🌟
If you want to create a little space by exercising, here’s a fun and energetic cardio video from PopSugar Fitness.
And if you need a little top-up for your self-compassion, there’s a meditation link below (there was no embed preview for the video, there’s nothing going wrong with your phone/computer.)
Making Space 2022
About Making Space 2022
In December 2020, Fit is a Feminist Issue blogger Martha created a tradition – a series of reminder posts to take good care of ourselves during this last month of the year when it is far too easy to get swept up in your to do list, no matter what you are celebrating or not celebrating. Last year, it was my turn and after an introductory Go Team post called Give Yourself Some Space, I created a series of reminders called ‘Making Space‘ that offered a suggested short exercise video and a suggested meditation in case you needed an easy way to find space for yourself in your schedule.
For 2022, I’ll be doing the same thing but I’ll also be including a link to Martha’s post from the same date in 2020 and I’ll offer a few extra ideas for relaxation, creativity, and self-kindness here and there.
These posts are not about insisting that you do more, more, more during this busy season. Instead, I want to encourage you to remember that there IS a *YOU* who is doing all of the things and you are worth taking good care of.
Perhaps the things I suggest aren’t what you need in the moment. That’s totally ok. Perhaps you can use something else to create some space, something that will help you feel more relaxed or more in charge of your day.
