Renewal in Times of Stress

The state of the US notwithstanding, my life has felt like a chaotic ocean storm, not quite a

Low Tide at sunset

hurricane, but a sudden squall, followed by low tide. Somedays everything just feels like too much. But when I reflect on how I spend my time, I find there are few things I want to stop doing.

I want to stay active in my writers club. I want to stay involved with my community. I want to write my stories. I want to play in the dirt with my flowers. I want to visit my family. I want to go to the gym. In this moment, right now, I feel like a whining three-year-old. Not a good look for a woman approaching seventy, especially one who told her children crying is okay, whining is not.

Okay. I need to stop and look at this more closely. The problem isn't wholly that I've agreed to take on more than I should. The biggest problem is forgetting to set boundaries for myself. Remembering not to check emails after a certain time. For me, that's 4pm, the arbitrary end of my workday. Remembering that one volunteer responsibility will no longer be mine in a few months. Remembering that not every problem requires immediate resolution and there's no use spinning my wheels about things I cannot control. Remember to stop looking at my phone in the evening.

A To-do List

I need to sort out what's most important to me. Visiting family. Writing. Taking care of myself, resting and going to the gym. Okay. These should be on the top of my list. Those of you who have read my blog for a while have heard me talk about this before, my habit of letting my to-do list be authored by others. One thing I know for sure is that it is easy to fall back into an old habit. I need to be intentional, as my daughter says, about I spend my time. I can do this.

Part of being intentional relates to being present in the moment and making a conscious decision about how I spend my time, rather than responding from on old habit. Focusing on the one task before me allows me to give that one task my best. It could be gardening. It could be reading a book to my granddaughters. Being present and intentional helps us take control of our daily lives. So, this for me has been like a cleansing breath, pushing out the old and taking in the new as I continue to prioritize my mental wellbeing. I encourage you to do the same.

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