finding balance – marginalia and such

Mental Health Monday: tuning out

Some days, I just need to tune out. Light a candle, brew some tea, shut the world out.

file_000-1

I had a hard time letting go when I was younger. In my teens, I felt things very intensely and it was exhausting. As I’ve grown (older, if not wiser), I’ve learned to let go. There are some things I can’t fix. There are some things I can’t control. I’ve learned to focus on the ones I can fix, can control, rather than stressing over the major, epic ones. That’s not to say I don’t have opinions regarding major, life-changing issues (hello, current state of the nation), but I do what I can to focus on the changes I can make close to homd. Some days that’s as simple as writing a letter or email, others it’s knowing when not to get into an argument (I don’t need the grief). My own well-being comes first.

Mental Health Monday: social media purge

Hi all! I’ve been toying with new ideas for the year and I thought it might be nice to do an occasional mental health Monday post, just a little peek into what I do to stay grounded and find meaning.

I recently made the decision to shut down my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. I found that I got very little pleasure from them and more anxiety than not. LinkedIn, in particular, was a waste and a nuisance. I rarely used it, but I was constantly receiving messages about security breaches. The thought that they couldn’t get their shiz together to secure my account was a deal-breaker after the umpteenth password change.

The election drama was a large part of my decision to quit Facebook. The amount of fake news and poor insight being promoted just made the choice all the easier. Since quitting, I’ve felt a sense of ease that I haven’t felt in a while. I don’t need to make excuses for not returning someone’s add request and I don’t have to censor my views and opinions because I might upset someone I know or work with… ain’t no time for that.

I’ve also started limiting my time on twitter. I love the sense of community among aspiring and new writers, but there are too many battles to be fought and I just don’t feel like getting into it. Cutting back and spending time on actual writing, blogging, and video-making brings me much more joy.

I love Instagram and it’s become my platform of choice for browsing. I regularly declutter my follows and try to curate my feed, but I much prefer the visual pretties over the storm of angry text. Pinterest, still good.

Overall, I’m pleased with the direction I’m taking and am less bogged down by other people’s opinions.

Try it for a few days, unplug and see how you feel. Let me know how it goes 🙂

life: goals and moving on

My goals for November are simple: just get back to something like normal. At work and in life, things are slowly shifting into a routine, and I just need to keep working at finding that equilibrium. The semester is winding down; my conference is over and done; and the leadership program I’m attending is wrapping to a close. There have been days when I’ve just wanted to curl up and hide, but I’ve managed to stick it out (despite the boy’s grumbling about the amount of complaining he’s put up with).

I haven’t kept up with my writing and, some days, the only exercise I get is the walk to and from my car (a long one at least), but I’ve needed the pause, even if only to find the energy to start again. Even now, I’m debating whether I have the mental capacity to work on a chapter (the answer is likely no), but I know I will with time. Fall is a time for new beginnings for me and I’m more than ready for a fresh start.

life: flow

It’s my third day back on a morning yoga schedule and I’m really getting into the flow of it. My workouts tend to shift with the seasons: when the sun starts to rise a little later and set a little earlier, my workouts shift to morning rather than evening. I still enjoy a post-dinner walk, but I just enjoy the gray morning vibe more. Kitty cat #1 (ie. CaramelCat) also enjoys the morning yoga sesh. I think Adriene’s voice just sounds really pleasant to his kitty ears, so he plops out beside me and licks my forehead as I move into shavasana.

I’ve also been enjoying my new diffuser, I like to use oils when I’m stretching and having it in the bedroom makes it that much more effective (morning yoga is bedroom yoga; whereas, evening yoga happens in the living room – see, shifts in mood and place).

Today’s practice was the gentle morning sequence, which was perfect. I feel a bit of a cold coming on and the stretch was just what I needed.