I’m a creative and imaginative person and I enjoy using those skills in all kinds of different contexts.
I do not, however, enjoy having to use my creativity and imagination to pretend that it is summer.
Sure, technically, that’s the season we’re in but in my part of NL we have been having a very unsummery June.
We’ve had lots of rain, drizzle, and fog (a.k.a. RDF) and, as of last week, we hadn’t reached 20 degrees Celsius yet. I’m not sure if that one sunny day we had recently broke that unfortunate streak of chilly temperatures but even if it did, one warm day can’t really shake off the gloom of so many dreary ones.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am grateful to be safe from drought and fires and smoke. I recognize that there are far greater troubles in the world than a month of disheartening weather.
But disheartening weather is still disheartening.
And I could really use some heartening during this emotionally difficult time in my life.
It’s much easier to feel hopeful, try new things, and get yourself moving when you have some sunshine and when you can wear bright colours.
(Yes, yes, I can wear bright-coloured clothing at any time but my summer clothes have a different feel to them – you know what I mean!)
Anyway, despite the disappointing weather, I have still been doing some summery things – a little gardening, tidying the yard, taking longer walks, using my swing, and sitting outside to read (bundled in a blanket, but still!)
Yesterday morning (Monday), though, I took it a step further and really pretended that the weather was warm.
Image description: a close-to-the-ground cloudy day photo of my patio with my yoga mat stretching out length-wise between the camera and the space where my patio steps are. At the far end of the mat, on either side of the opening for the steps are patio railings (wooden tops with black uprights), a patio chair with a red cushion, and a white table hanging off the railing. Beyond the deck is a green lawn and on the far side of the lawn there are trees and a fence and an orange patio chair. My green disk swing is hanging from one of the trees.
Yep, I dragged my mat outside and practiced out there.
It was only about 6 degrees Celsius, it was threatening to rain, and the sky was dull, but I did my yoga outside because that’s the kind of thing I like doing this time of year.
The weather is making it hard to feel summery but I am determined to have a summer fun all the same.
Even if it starts to rain immediately after I take photo evidence.
Image description: a photo of Khalee – my light-haired, medium-sized dog standing on my deck looking back over her shoulder towards me. Most of the deck boards are wet with rain but the ones closest to me are sheltered by the roof overhang so they aren’t wet yet.
For those of us who live in northern climes, it’s both spring and not-yet-spring. Here in the Boston area, the daffodils and a number of ambitious tulips are up and running. But the bright sun and blue skies and delightful warmth we crave are only available on a spotty basis. Yes, April really is the cruelest month, at least in my view.
In addition to the swing-set and merry-go-round gyrations of the weather, there’s also the roller-coaster ride which is the academic year to finish and disembark from. This is a fact of life for all who teach for a living, and all of us who harbor students in our midst. It’s not easy, I’m telling you. So, no one can fault me for looking to squeeze in a little time-out or peacefulness break during last few weekends before May arrives. Spoiler: I’ve found two so far. Hope you might find some of it useful in your own search for the strength to make it through until May.
First, the rural experience: my friend, acupuncturist and fellow book club member Lisa scoped out a local alpaca farm (located conveniently near another club member’s home) and organized a pre-book-club visit last Sunday afternoon. You could tell right away this was a fun place:
You can get a sense of a place by its signs. “Notice: Don’t let the alpacas out, no matter what they say!”I’d pay 5 cents for an alpaca kiss, for sure…As in all social situations, alpacas have rules for proper behavior.
The owner led us into the barn, where the female alpacas were hanging out. They were as adorable as their reputations led me to believe, even though they somehow didn’t make this list of the eight cutest animals ever. Hmphf.
It’s apparently common for the alpacas to hang out facing the same way, in case something disconcerting happens; then they can scamper away en masse. Seriously, isn’t that one of the cutest animal faces ever?
We were allowed to pet them, provided that they were amenable. We were told not to stick our hands out in front of their faces– I mean, that’s just rude, right? If they were close enough, we could pet their soft wooly necks. Since we were the last tour of the weekend, the owner said that the alpacas were kind of over the tourists (who can blame them), so we should probably respect their desires to keep a bit of distance. Fair enough. I feel that way by the end of my workweek too. And, this is sensible advice when visiting anyone.
Moving through the small barn, we exited to the yard to meet the male alpacas.
This guy photobombed my shot of a nice light brown alpaca placed comfortably for us to pet.Here’s my successful attempt to capture the image of a very nice and soft brown-and-white guy, vey chilled out.Two males in the paddock, munching hay and waiting for us to leave.
As if all this wasn’t enough to soothe the savage breast (yes, it’s breast, not beast; see here), there was also a gift shop. Oh yeah.
We all left for our book club meeting with heads and hearts full of alpaca love. In case you (like me) are now giving serious thought to throwing it all in and becoming an alpaca farmer, look no further than here. We discussed the idea in great detail during book club, but no one has given notice at their job yet. Yet.
Now, let’s move to more urban time-outs and the search for the brief wellness break, perhaps on the way home from the grocery store.
In a fit of late-night FaceBook buying imprudence, I purchased a “special deal” on a combo massage chair and salt-water-pod float experience. No, they don’t put the massage chair in the water; they are two separate experiences. The establishment is called The Indoor Oasis, about a 25-minute drive from my house. It was tucked away in the back corner of a quaint office park (this IS New England, people, so such things are possible), so not easy to find. But find it I did, and up the stairs I went, to find these nice people waiting for me.
The entrance to The Indoor Oases, with a lovely blue wall, wood registration desk, and friendly folks behind the desk.
I was greeted warmly, offered water and then seated in front of a safety video, which was hard to pay attention to, because I was curiously looking around. I did manage to catch the part about taking a shower– either before or after, or both (I did both to be on the safe side).
Intro and safety video for my float experience. Showering plays an important role, so is covered here.
Then it was time for my massage chair massage. Honestly, I didn’t have very high expectations. I’ve tried a few of these in the past, and my impression was pretty meh. Well, apparently I had never met the Kyota Kokoro M488 4D Massage Chair. Then, on Friday afternoon at 3:36pm, everything changed.
Hello, lover…
Oh, my new massage chair soulmate may not look so pretty, with its brownish/bronze and black naugahyde upholstery. But you can’t judge a chair by its covering. The nice guy from the front desk got me set up in the chair, which involved shoving my legs and feet into the front slots, sticking my arms below the arm rests in a little chamber surrounded by soft polyester material, and nestling my shoulders and head in between pads designed to hold me in place, too.
Where my legs and feet go.slots for my arms– no, it’s not a panini press.The guy adjusted my shoulders and head and put the head pads in place. Gulp…
Was I about to blast off somewhere? Well, yeah– to the land of sublime chair massage nirvana!
Oh. My. God. What followed was a 20-minute wild multi-sensory ride in what I can only describe as a Dr. Seuss-like steampunk hilarious full-body pleasure machine. The chair made all sorts of noises– huffs and puffs and wheezes of air filling up chambers and squeezing out of them like bellows (if bellows were incorporated into a living room set). It groaned and clicked and clacked, thumped (there was a lot of thumping) rolled, grumbled, hissed and knocked. All in service of giving me a variety of strong sensations consonant with being massaged by, well, an animate Dr. Seuss-like chair creature.
My arms and legs and hands and feet were pressed and squeezed. The bottoms of my feet were massaged by knobby rollers. My back and butt were manipulated by, uh, I don’t know– thumpy stick-like rotating things under the naugahyde seat. I didn’t laugh out loud, although I think no one would’ve heard me through all the racket the chair was making. I was equal parts amused and relaxed by the end of the 20 minutes.
At this point, I was pretty maximally blissful. But wait– I still had to do the float. Well, here we go– once more into the breach…
The same guy showed me my Float room– instead of a smallish pod, they have a whole room you can stand up in, so there’s less worry about feeling claustrophobic. Here’s what the setup looks like:
The room with a shower, bench (not seen here), and the door open to the float area.Inside the float room– it’s at least 6.5 ft (2meters plus) long, with controls for mood lighting, star points lights on ceiling, music and intercom for front desk.
Anyone will float in this water– it’s super duper salty. There’s a spray bottle in there to spray your face if you get salt water in your eyes. The foam ring on the left is for under your head if you want it more out of the water, but I found it unnecessary. I tried all sensory options– with and without music, and with and without lights. All of them were nice. Here’s what the light show looks like:
I was supposed to float and relax and transcend my earthly burdens for 90 minutes. I have to admit, I started getting a little antsy before the hour was up. So I got out, showered (a necessity because of all the salt), took pictures and got dressed. Don’t get me wrong: it was very nice, floating there– warm and woozy and peaceful and colorful. But honestly, I’ve done a fair bit of floating in my time, and this was not so different. Of course, your mileage may vary.
I’m glad I tried both the float and the massage chair experiences. In the end, I am definitely Team Massage Chair. I’ll definitely be back for that, and I’m bringing friends.
And if I have to choose between the alpaca farm and the steampunk huffing and puffing massage chair, I’d say: why choose? We can have both! What a world we live in, huh?
So, friends, have you tried out of these sorts of escapes? Have you petted any particularly charming animals lately? Taken a ride on a magical La-Z-boy? Let me know– I want in on the fun.
Tomorrow is the big day, my second knee replacement surgery. I’m nervous–of course, I’m nervous–but I’m also excited about having both surgeries behind me and getting on with my life.
The feeling of new beginnings is in the air. It’s Easter weekend as I’m writing this and it’s finally spring in my part of the world.
Spring temperatures
Normally these temperatures would mean spring bike rides but it’ll be awhile before I’m back on the road outdoors. I will be enjoying the sunshine and nice temperatures on my back deck while I’m home from work recovering from surgery and doing physio. I’ve even bought a new bird feeder for the deck so I’ll have some feathered company out there.
I know the next few weeks will be intense–all ice, physio, elevation, and pain meds. But I know from last time that after those first few difficult weeks, I’ll be back in aquafit and then riding my bike on the trainer. So yes, hard work but also good to get it done.
I was happy to have a relaxing Easter weekend at Sarah’s family farm. There were signs of spring everywhere. There was a lot of bird song and frog song but more surprising were all the snakes basking in the sun. One even curled up around the bottom of my cane.
Spring snake
We had a very nice afternoon walk in the sunshine. The snow is all gone but there was lots of spring mud.
Another spring snakeWalking in the muddy spring fields
I also finished three books this weekend. I think I’m trying to distract myself from worrying too much about surgery. If you’re a feminist and a rower, you’ll love Lessons in Chemistry. It’s fast reading. Enjoy!
Books
I’ll check back in on the other side of surgery. Wish me luck!
It’s that time of year. By that, I mean, “the time of year that demands doing something, anything, to get through these last vestiges of winter while the spring colors take their own sweet time coming out”. For me, the thing I just did was buy some new houseplants. Here they are, settling in and getting to know the current plant residents of my dining room.
Staking orchid is new; free-range orchids are 10-year incumbents.The staked new pink orchid, with the little but vivid yellow and fuschia one.Purple new orchid, with dracaena, bromeliad and pothos. All newbies.
I love them. I pretty much love all plants that make their way to my house. And, with the exception of a gardenia that seemed hell-bent on expiring pronto (which it did), I’ve managed to cultivate long-term relationships with all my indoor plants. I put them in nice sunny places (if that’s what they like), water them, prune when necessary, occasionally fertilize, and appreciate them heartily.
Which raises the questions: what have my plants done for ME lately?
…indoor plants can significantly benefit participants’ diastolic blood pressure… and academic achievement… whereas indoor plants also affected participants’ electroencephalography (EEG) α and β waves, attention, and response time, though not significantly.
That quote was sounding pretty good until the last part– “thought not significantly”. Hmphf. Well, I don’t know about that. Let’s continue the search to vindicate house plant ownership.
Ah, here’s another study, which sounds rock-solid to me. In this experiment, the researchers recruited 24 twenty-something males, asking half of them to do a computer task and the other half to transplant a plant from one pot to another. Here’s a series of photos from their paper to illustrate their study design.
This is science at work, folks. We got your plant pots, your computer with levitating clip board, and your participants participating.
Not to leave you all in suspense any longer, the results were as follows:
…the feelings during the transplanting task were different from that during the computer task. The subjects felt comfortable, soothed, and natural after the transplanting task, whereas they felt uncomfortable, awakened, and artificial after the computer task.
Our data support the notion that active interaction with indoor plants can have positive effects on human stress response mediated by cardiovascular activities. These physiological benefits may result from multiple natural stimuli acting on the senses of vision, hearing, touch, and smell.
Well, there you have it. Okay, it’s not saying that house plants will help you live longer or be healthier. But they say good things about having house plants and less good things about doing computer tasks. Yes, we already suspected this, but now science has settled the matter.
So, if you’re on the fence about buying some new geraniums for your front porch, or investing in a little succulent garden for a sunny window spot, consider yourself nudged. Or at least feel free to devote a little time to your green friends already residing with you. You’ll be glad you did.
You may not have realized it but Thursday, March 30 was a big day.
What was so big about it?
It was the first day since last Fall that I could wear sneakers on my daily walk with Khalee.
Photo evidence! Well, evidence is a strong work, it probably wouldn’t hold up in a court of law. It’s just a photo of my sneakers feet on the pavement, it doesn’t prove that I haven’t worn my sneakers on a walk in months but please cut me some slack here, Your Honour. Image description: a top down photo of my pink sneakers and black leggings as I stand on the salt-speckled asphalt street. The sun is behind me to the right so legs are caring a shadow toward the upper left of the image. The angle of the sun is creating one big shadow out of both of legs so, shadow-wise, it looks like I was hopping on my one giant leg.
And it was one of the first days I could just wear regular pants on my walk instead of adding an extra layer.
It still isn’t *warm* here, only a few degrees below zero but those few degrees make a huge difference for me.
Being able to just throw on a jacket (hat and gloves, too, of course) and put on my sneakers feels way smoother and quicker than adding another pair of pants and lacing up my boots.
It reduces the friction for getting out through the door, it feels like I could drop everything and head out at any time.
(I can always do that, of course, but now it actually *feels* that way, too.)
It just feels EASIER to get out there.
And Khalee is much less impatient with me in the porch. She simply cannot believe how long it takes me to get ready sometimes. (Humans are very weird, apparently.)
Speaking of me being weird, Khalee also can’t believe that I would waste valuable snow-sniffing time by stopping to take her picture. Image description: a n outdoor photo of Khalee, a light-haired, medium-sized dog, is on a neon yellow leash and black/aqua harness. She is standing on the side of the road with snowbanks to her right and she is looking back toward the camera. My shadow, the shadow of the leash and the dog-walking paraphernalia can be seen on the left side of the photo.
So, it’s still cold.
We still have lots of snow.
This isn’t my house in the background and not every lawn has this much snow right now but still, there’s a lot of snow around. Image description: a smirky selfie with a snowbank so high that only the peaked roof of the house is visible behind the snow. I am wearing a green winter hat, my oversized cats-eye glasses, and a green coat. My light brown hair is sticking out from under my hat to rest on my shoulder.
But I am feeling Springish because the sun has been out a lot lately and I can wear my sneakers on my walks.
Sure, it’s not green grass, crocuses, and birdsong but life is easier when I adjust my expectations to my reality, right?
Soon, soon, Khalee and I will be able to sit on these front steps enjoying a cup of tea…ok, I’ll be the only one with tea but we’ll both be out there. Image description: a selfie of me and Khalee on my front steps with part of my house and my door in the background. The sun is shining on us and I’m squinting and smiling as she sniffs my face.
You may not have realized it but Thursday, March 30 was a big day.
What was so big about it?
It was the first day since last Fall that I could wear sneakers on my daily walk with Khalee.
Photo evidence! Well, evidence is a strong work, it probably wouldn’t hold up in a court of law. It’s just a photo of my sneakers feet on the pavement, it doesn’t prove that I haven’t worn my sneakers on a walk in months but please cut me some slack here, Your Honour. Image description: a top down photo of my pink sneakers and black leggings as I stand on the salt-speckled asphalt street. The sun is behind me to the right so legs are caring a shadow toward the upper left of the image. The angle of the sun is creating one big shadow out of both of legs so, shadow-wise, it looks like I was hopping on my one giant leg.
And it was one of the first days I could just wear regular pants on my walk instead of adding an extra layer.
It still isn’t *warm* here, only a few degrees below zero but those few degrees make a huge difference for me.
Being able to just throw on a jacket (hat and gloves, too, of course) and put on my sneakers feels way smoother and quicker than adding another pair of pants and lacing up my boots.
It reduces the friction for getting out through the door, it feels like I could drop everything and head out at any time.
(I can always do that, of course, but now it actually *feels* that way, too.)
It just feels EASIER to get out there.
And Khalee is much less impatient with me in the porch. She simply cannot believe how long it takes me to get ready sometimes. (Humans are very weird, apparently.)
Speaking of me being weird, Khalee also can’t believe that I would waste valuable snow-sniffing time by stopping to take her picture. Image description: a n outdoor photo of Khalee, a light-haired, medium-sized dog, is on a neon yellow leash and black/aqua harness. She is standing on the side of the road with snowbanks to her right and she is looking back toward the camera. My shadow, the shadow of the leash and the dog-walking paraphernalia can be seen on the left side of the photo.
So, it’s still cold.
We still have lots of snow.
This isn’t my house in the background and not every lawn has this much snow right now but still, there’s a lot of snow around. Image description: a smirky selfie with a snowbank so high that only the peaked roof of the house is visible behind the snow. I am wearing a green winter hat, my oversized cats-eye glasses, and a green coat. My light brown hair is sticking out from under my hat to rest on my shoulder.
But I am feeling Springish because the sun has been out a lot lately and I can wear my sneakers on my walks.
Sure, it’s not green grass, crocuses, and birdsong but life is easier when I adjust my expectations to my reality, right?
Soon, soon, Khalee and I will be able to sit on these front steps enjoying a cup of tea…ok, I’ll be the only one with tea but we’ll both be out there. Image description: a selfie of me and Khalee on my front steps with part of my house and my door in the background. The sun is shining on us and I’m squinting and smiling as she sniffs my face.
It didn’t just feel like a really dark and gloomy winter. It was a very dark and gloomy winter.
CTV news recently reported:
“If you found yourself pining for some sunshine in Ontario in recent months, it’s likely because the province just lived through one of the darkest winter seasons in nearly a century.
According to solar energy data by The European Centre for Medium Range Forecasting (ECMRF), parts of Ontario saw lower levels of solar energy between December 2022 and February 2023 than previously recorded in the last 83 years, or since 1940.”
This weekend when a major snow storm was predicted where I live we just got what the weather folk called a “sustained dreary rain event.”
All of this news about how dark it’s been actually made me feel better about it all. As one Facebook friend wrote, “It’s strangely validating to learn that it really WAS unusually dark and gloomy, not just an artefact of our collective mental state.”
This year I did use my sad lamp regularly. I have one at the office and one at home. I did run off to a sunshine-y place in January. I love Arizona. And I confess I was focused more on knee replacement recovery than anything else. Still, winter was long and it was dark. Today it’s officially over.
Last week I spent my spring break in South Carolina (where I’m from) with family (where they live). In New England (where I live), it’s been a strange and yucky winter, weather-wise. Too little snow, too much rain, and an ample supply of slush all made for a paucity of winter outdoor fun. Hence my excitement to spend a little time in warmer sunnier climes. I wasn’t disappointed.
The day after I rolled into town, my sister and two of her kids and all of their dogs (one big, one little) headed out to Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia, SC. It’s a lovely low-key place, with hiking trails, biking trails, walking trails, paddleboat and canoe rentals, and lots of areas to set up picnics and parties for big or small groups.
We opted for the standard walking trail, which winds around the small lake. We encountered loads of families, runners, walkers, dogs, and babies in strollers. My nephew Gray and I agreed that we felt an inexplicable but warm sense of civic pride whenever we’d go to a well-attended municipal or state park. This was but one of the many topics under discussion during our leisurely walk, made more leisurely by the presence of Bailey, a 10-year-old large Golden Retriever. We made several stops for water and rest, along with petting by other folks.
My sister Elizabeth and me, with early spring wetlands in the background.The kids with two dogs– Bailey the Golden and Kiwi the Yorkie– on leash.Family photo of my sister, Gray and Gracie, all in their respective natural states.
The next day, on my way to visit my mother, I dropped by Lee State Park, another low-key wetlands-y place with hardwood forest. They have a kids’ playground (in use at the time)., visitor’s center (closed on that day), and loads of information about their hiking trails, boardwalk, 6-mile bike loop, equestrian trails, and historical buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
First things first: Ranger Catherine photo.Boardwalk for exploring swamping bottomland.Brush, some green and some not yet green.Pollen pattern on the tannin-colored water.I said it was swampy, didn’t I?The way back in the late afternoon sun.
Midweek I stole away from my chores with my mother to take a walk in Williamson Park in Darlington, a lovingly maintained walking area consisting of dirt and chipped paths and boardwalks through a cypress swampland. It’s a place I know like the back of my hand, and is a pleasure to visit at any time of the year. I often run into town folks I haven’t seen in ages, and catch up on local news.
Have you ever seen a more inviting path than this?Signs of spring all around, all in process.One of several boardwalks.Cypress swamp.Green comes in so many shades. Ozzy the Golden Doodle (yes, it’s true), with his person Bill, said hi and chatted with me.
It was so nice to walk around, take pictures, chit chat with my family or other folks, and just settle into being in these places. I highly recommend it (as you all know).
Readers, have you been somewhere outside nice lately? It is local? Far away? A favorite? Someplace new? I’d love to hear from you.
In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 is the Winter Solstice – the 24 hour period with the least daylight in the year. After today, things start to get a little brighter day by day.
It’s kind of like when you know the most challenging part of something is almost over and there is some ease ahead. At this point, you have to keep putting one metaphorical foot in front of the other and you will get through.
One December 21, 2020, Martha was inviting us to Embrace the Light – not only to be hopeful about the fact that there will soon be more hours of sunlight but to look for other sources of light in your life to help lift your spirits.
That’s some really great advice from Martha. Not only can we take action to bring more literal light – candles, lamps, strings of coloured lights or whathaveyou – we can also look for things that lighten our spirits – friends, family, treasured memories, enjoyable pastimes- and make them part of our days.
So, if you can, try to create some space around those ideas today: What brings light into your life? How can you stay connected to those things, those people, those activities, throughout the year?
However you decide to embrace light today, I wish you ease and peace of mind.
I hope you can be kind to yourself as you move through your day.
May you have the space and the light that you need.
My sister Denise likes to greet the sun on the winter solstice. This is her photo from December 2021. Image description: A photo of the sun rising over a distant hill on a winter morning. In the foreground are the silhouettes of large evergreen trees and in the middle ground are streets lined with houses and other buildings. There is a light dusting of snow here and there throughout the photo.
Some people who practice yoga regularly like to greet changes in season (such as the solstice) by doing 108 sun salutations. If you are more casual with your yoga practice, 108 might be a bit much for you but perhaps you might enjoy welcoming the light’s return by doing a shorter version of the practice. I have found two videos you might like, a 10 minute practice from Yoga with Adriene and a chair yoga practice from Donna Freeman.
For our meditation today, I have three things for you to choose from. The first is a slow, breath-focused practice, and the other two are opportunities for reflection rather than guided meditations.
A 10 Minute Sun Salutation Practice video from Yoga with Adriene. The still image shows a blue panel on the left with white text reading ’30 Days of Yoga’, on the right, Adriene is doing a low lunge on a pink yoga mat that is resting on a brown wooden floor.
A video from the Donna Freeman YouTube channel entitled ‘Chair Yoga Sun Salutations: Two Ways.’ The still image shows the instructor facing to the left while sitting on a kitchen chair in a home studio space that features a large painting of a daisy hanging on the back wall. The instructor is at the edge of the chair with their legs extended in front of them (touching the floor), and their arms extended overhead and forwards. Their upper body is leaned forward slightly.
A Winter Solstice Guided Meditation 2022 from Jenna Goldman’s YouTube channel. The still image is divided horizontally with a black and white photo at the top that shows darkness between two outcroppings of light-coloured rock. The bottom image is of the sun in the distance rising over water.
In this video from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway from the Buffalo People Arts Institute explains what the Winter Solstice means to her. The still image, shows the speaker (with a museum exhibit behind her) speaking animatedly with her hands, palm upwards, in front of her. She has long brown hair with some grey in it and she has glasses. She is wearing a red shirt, a pink scarf, and a necklace and earrings made with traditional materials.
This video from the Canadian Mental Health Association is entitled ‘Holiday Story Time: Mouse Celebrates The Winter Solstice’ and the still image features the story title in the foreground and a background of evergreen branches, twinkle lights, and a small red star.
About 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.
No matter what you have ahead of you this month, things probably feel like they are about to ramp up but they haven’t quite gotten hectic yet. That makes this an excellent time to put a few things in place for future you.
In 2020, Martha was reminding us that staying hydrated makes a huge difference in how we feel. And when we’re busy, we want to make sure to do anything we can think of that will tip the balance towards us feeling a bit better.
So, with that in mind, what else might keep us feeling a bit better?
What other small things can you do for your future self? You know, the one who might be a bit more frazzled that you are now.
Are there tasks that tend to build up over the month that you can do a little bit at time starting now??
Is there something that you often run out when things get busy but that you could pick up now? Like scotch tape, sugar, or soap – to name just a few things I have had to dash out and get at inconvenient times.
Can you block off some downtime later in the month? This could come in handy when you are invited to something that you don’t really have the capacity for, you can tell them that you are already booked that night!
Speaking of small things you can do for your future self, here are two videos of neck stretches that can really reduce the tension you carry in that area. Reducing that tightness could be just the right way to prevent a future headache.
Whatever you choose to do today, I wish you ease. I hope you can find your own way to keep stress at a minimum and be kind to yourself in the process..
A Yoga with Adriene ‘silent’ video called Yoga for Daily Neck Relief. This video has only music and no verbal cues. The still image is a black and white photo of Adriene with her hair pulled back in a lace band and low ponytail. She is looking to her right.
I enjoy the video above but since Adriene isn’t giving verbal cues, it might not be useful for everyone. Sooo, I have included the video below (another favourite of mine), that includes clear verbal cues.
A video from Mark Wildman called ‘A 3 Minute Neck Drill That Will Change Your Life’ – I’m not sure if it is life changing but it sure is helpful! The still image is two photos of Wildman sitting on a set of steps in a gym. In the first he is extending his neck forward so his face is closest to the camera. In the second he is pulling his chin backwards to extend the muscles in the back of his neck. He has his hands laid over one another on his chest.
Sidenote: As I mention in this 2018 post called Cause and Effect, Effect and Cause I have realized that while anxiety and stress can cause me to have a tight neck, the opposite is also true. If my neck is tight for some physical reason, my brain goes into overdrive because it assumes I am anxious. And, of course, with enough poking around, my brain will always find something to be anxious about. That anxiety makes my neck tighter…you get the picture. If that happens to you, too, these videos might be extra useful.
Not up to neck stretches today? Maybe this grounding meditation is more your speed.
A video called ‘Managing Anxious Thoughts And Stress with Mindfulness’ from the Headspace YouTube Channel. The still image has an orange background and a smiling yellow blob with its eyes closed is on the right hand side. On the left is text reading ‘Lost in Thought? Try Grounding.’
About 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.
