Tag Archives: Stress

Still Here

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Greetings, friends. I just wanted to pop in and say I’m still around even if I haven’t been present here for some time. My days are currently more mentally taxing than normal and the thought of writing even one more paragraph feels like too much most of the time.

This is a season and not a permanent way of life even though it does feel like it will never end.

My No Spend Challenge kept me mostly at home, resting, reading and turning inward this winter. That’s officially done now but I unofficially haven’t changed much. It’s an act of self preservation at this point but Adventure Season will start in about six weeks and I’m looking forward to it. There are several day trips I would like to take, some new-to-me bookstores and diners and maybe some longer adventures too.

Life will eventually return to normal and I’ll get back on some kind of writing schedule here too. I actually have a ton of travel stories to tell you from last fall but simply haven’t had the mental energy to do it.

Last November I announced that I wanted to hike as much as possible this winter. I had big plans for hitting the local trails.

And then reality set in.

The weekends were too harsh for hiking with frigid temperatures, icy trails and hazardous road conditions that kept us away. Then the snow melted into mud and ice. And then the wind moved in, making it unsafe to be under trees where a falling limb could land on your head at anytime. And then the rain came, ushering in a period of flooding.

Such is life in Ohio.

I did get to walk the Moonville Rail Trail a few weekends ago and then made it to a nearby trail at Old Man’s Cave in the Hocking Hills yesterday.

Fresh air and a good stretch of the legs will change your outlook on life.

The wind is back today but it’s about 65 degrees right now so I turned off the heat and opened a few windows to air out the house.

Sunday is always a reset day for me. Laundry, a little food preps and some small chores help to make the week go more smoothly. Some rest, reading and lots of hydration will help me feel like facing it.

I like habit and routine to keep me honest. I like adventure days for keeping me happy and fulfilled. I also believe in listening to my body and mind and in giving them what they need especially when in a season of challenges.

Through it all Scout has remained my steadfast companion and perhaps the only one in my life with no demands other than dinner and no judgement of me except when dinner is late.

We all need someone like that in our lives!

Go forth and adventure when you can. Dream of better days when you can’t and remember that rest is importantly to feeling well enough to face your day.

I’ll be here taking it easy and gearing up for better days!

Stress

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My week has been unnecessarily stressful mostly because of the choices of others. I’m pretty good at keeping my life reasonably calm but struggle sometimes to navigate circumstances caused by others.

Since stress is bad for human health, I’m doing my best to deflect and tune out other people’s shenanigans. This is often easier said than done but I’m giving it the old college try.

Last night I tried some mushroom hot chocolate to help support my sleep. This book, though, foiled attempts to drift off early. The Peach Keeper is a page turner!

Scout’s also doing his part to keep life pleasant as he alternates between luxuriating in sunny patches and curling up next to me every chance he gets. He rests most peacefully when his little body is pressed against my side. His purrs are mixed with sweet snoring when he’s truly relaxed.

We’ve had a fair amount of rain this week and loads of morning fog. Yesterday I looked out to find the butterfly bush by the window filled with spider webs. Someone was very busy, creating these magnificently complex designs.

They’re mesmerizing.

They’re also a timely reminder of how everything is connected and how pulling one thread can unravel the whole darn thing – whether it be in nature or in society at-large or in someone’s incomprehensible actions.

Remember this, friends: no one deserves your peace, your time, or space in your head unless you believe them worthy. As life, work, and the news seemingly become more busy and more convoluted with every passing day, it’s best to draw some boundaries and then do your best to stick to them.

A cat, a book and a cup of hot chocolate are powerful tools for holding the line against stress in my corner of the world. I hope you find something that works for you as well!

Memories To Hold On To

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This is just a three day workweek for me since I had a long weekend out gallivanting. No offense to my job or other aspects of my regular life because I’m grateful for all of it…. but … TGIF. 

It’s so easy to get sucked back into everyone else’s troubles, bad work habits, and all the daily annoyances that tug at our brains and demand attention.

For this week, though, I have been working to mentally pull myself away from all of that at least for a moment or two at a time. When my brain starts to latch on to something negative, I take myself back to one particular moment on Saturday night. 

After a glorious day of exploring the shores of a fairytale land called Presque Isle State Park, some light book shopping, and sipping milkshakes, we headed back to the beach to witness the sunset. 

We left our shoes in the car but took towels and jackets. We took books in place of troubles. We took cold drinks instead of worries. 

We staked out a spot on a small peninsula where the waves might trick you into believing you’re at the ocean and not at the Lake Erie shore in Pennsylvania. We dug our toes into the sand and I used my bag as a pillow while reclining to read. 

As the sun began to descend, lower and lower against the horizon, the pleasantly warm day began to feel pleasantly cool. I stood to put on a light jacket. That’s when I noticed a large gathering of gulls on the rocks. All faced the western horizon as though they too were excited to see the cotton candy sky, colors so special that they can only be created by the setting sun. 

And then, without warning, all those gulls simultaneously took off and left us alone to focus on the sky. 

There was a slight breeze and the sand was turning cooler beneath my feet. I shuddered when a young woman waded out into the lake for one last dip in the golden hour. 

I wondered aloud about the water temperature but she was happy doing her thing and I was happy doing mine. 

And this, my friends, is where I am disappearing to in my brain when too much of the real world tries to crowd in this week.  

We all need a happy memory, something with lots of sensory details that we can grab hold of and escape to when the world gets to be too much. I’m grateful for mine and encourage you to dig through your memories for one of your own. If you don’t have one, better go out and make some! 

Notes From The Field: Overstimulation Is Real

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This week has been overwhelming. By the time I made it home from work last night, all I wanted to do was sit on the couch in the quiet and eat ice cream. That more or less is what I did.

I eventually made a sandwich and then turned on Little House on the Prairie.

It wasn’t a banner evening.

There are many reasons that this week suddenly pushed me right to the edge of the cliff. I’m mentally and physically tired because it’s March and March is one of my harder months.

My extended family suffered a terrible tragedy this week. That’s a sad story for a different day.  I had a small health scare that thankfully turned out fine but I still don’t have an answer regarding the issue. 

Work. I won’t ever complain about work but boy, has it been hopping lately. So has my volunteer life.

And there are times that I long for the days before texting, social media and the 24/7 barrage of news, information and demands for your time. The overstimulation is a real problem. 

I spent a lot of time this week bending to the will of people who don’t deserve my time and energy at all. I have a volunteer commitment this morning and am rooting for rain so I don’t feel obligated to do more than come back home for a quiet day here. 

If it’s nice I’ll feel obligated to go hike. 

My no spend challenge continues. This week I treated myself to a milkshake after having that medical procedure. I picked up a few things at the local grocer last night. The money savings will help with medical expenses. Not to mention, my 401k is taking daily hits so I’ll need to save my dollars and dimes for retirement if I ever hope to get there. Everyone has been so angry about the cost of chicken eggs but I’m terrified for my nest egg.

I’m dying for an early morning start to a good road trip somewhere new. I would like to roll into a smallish town, park the car and just look around. Doesn’t that sound exciting?

It hasn’t been all bad. After all, I have a good job, people who need me, things to keep me productive and plenty to keep me busy. Lots of stuff is happening in the truth is stranger than fiction column so that makes life more interesting.

How are you holding up this week? Are you a ball of nerves? Planning a trip? Just hanging in there? Living your best life? Tell me all about it!

Do You Know How To Relax?

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When was the last time you just sat down and relaxed? It seems to be a dying art for most people in my life. I’m certainly not good at it. After all, I spend the bulk of my day working at my job or sleeping. My free time is split between responsibilities at home, occasional hikes and a day trip when I can fit one in but these have been rare lately. 

Sitting down to do nothing just hasn’t been a priority for several months and my mind tends to wander if I try. 

Once the Christmas Eve dishes were cleared and my family left on Sunday night, there was a moment of calm like I haven’t felt in a long time. I looked around and realized that the shopping and gift wrapping were done, the cookies baked, the meal was over and there was nothing left to be done for the holiday. All I needed to do was show up for gifts and a meal at my parents’ house the next morning. 

So I curled up on the loveseat and read a book. I read several chapters and savored the experience. Warm pjs, the glow of the Christmas tree and my little house panther Scout nearby made for a perfect end to the day. 

It felt downright luxurious. 

It would be nice to bottle the calm that made this possible. 

Am I alone in this? 

It’s not healthy to be so busy that you can’t relax. It can lead to poor sleep, tension in the neck and shoulders, headaches and digestive issues. It elevates your blood pressure and is detrimental to your mental health. I notice that some overly busy people in my life are caffeine addicted, tense and paranoid. Personally, I carry all my stress in my shoulders and would be in severe pain if not for the magic hands of my great chiropractor. 

And why? What do we have to gain by keeping ourselves so busy we can’t even sleep at night? 

Do you have tips for relaxing and for sitting still? Winter is a slower time for me and a more relaxing time at home so I suspect I’ll naturally remember how to do this but could probably use a little help getting started!

The Secret

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The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly. ~Buddha~

It is Monday.

The weekend is gone but we must not mourn its passing. The week ahead is likely to bring stress but worrying about that won’t lessen the blow.

Let’s just be grateful we woke up today and that we have the opportunity to tackle another day. That’s the secret. Life may not be a bowl full of cherries but it is what we make if it. Let’s try to make this a good day.