Things have changed in my head lately. Neither good or bad in direction, just kind of a turn. As I said before, I DEFINITELY do not have all the answers. Really, I don’t know if I have ANY answers. All I know is what is working for myself.
The following are things I am finding are helping open new doors and calm the looming anxieties.
- Yoga- I use to think yoga was just for hippies and middle-aged ladies who wanted to pretend they were fit. Two totally opposite ends of the spectrum in what I thought of it; and to be totally honest I was completely happy being wrong. When I began regularly attending a studio, building a rapport with my favorite instructor- it opened my eyes to the bigger picture of the practice. I found myself using the breathing techniques in stressful moments at work and in life- not just in class. When time or budget or sheer annoyance that my body won’t move the way I want it to acme into play, I would drop off my practice. After a few months, I would realize something ‘off’ and would be delighted to jump back into it and the calming breath it brought.
- Baking- I LOVE to bake. It gives such a sense of accomplishment to create something from scratch. Measuring out sugar & the smell of vanilla extract… mhmm! The thing is, when I start the recipe I am usually stiff and uncomfortable but by the time it’s pulled from the oven I feel light and able to accomplish anything I set my mind to. The only catch of baking is that I barely eat what I bake. I think the sampling-while-making satisfies that craving, so I end up giving whatever I’ve made away (despite the grumblings from my so supportive Drewbert).
- Turning off- When all hope seems lost and the world entirely looming, turning off devices and stepping away, NOT checking in on what others are posting or sharing and comparing myself to them brings the most grounding of all acts. The world is a different place from when I was growing up; kids have wayyy more style than I ever had in the 90’s (one word: windbreakers), the technology is wildly advanced (Oregon Trail anyone?!), and the ‘every-day life’ that is perfectly curated and shared at just about every avenue is totally consuming and misleading. I’ll admit, I get swept up in the FOMO of people I consider ‘my age’ and the grand homes/travel/wardrobes they have the ability to maintain.
- Cleaning- I have always had this internal feeling of “as long as my personal space is tidy, everything else will follow suit” and I can totally see it working in real life. Just this weekend, I’ve found myself deep cleaning our apartment to try and bring some order to what feels like a wreck of an existence for me. Nothing is bad, promise- just not feeling as ‘on’ in my game as I know I should be. When the space I can control is IN control, I can see the rest of… well, everything coming into line as well. The Universe has a funny way of aligning when you allow it to. Sometimes creating the clean space to allow that to happen is all it takes!
Once again, I feel the need to reiterate- I am NOT an expert on this subject. I am merely sharing the things that work for me. As much as I thought I would have it all together by this point in my life (Hello, 30 in just 5 months & 5 days)… I am accepting where I have worked hard to get to and truly enjoying it.
I really do hope in sharing this, it sounds of acceptance and not wallow. I am by NO MEANS upset about where I am at! Just finding some soothing acts for when my minds gets the best of me. (As I’m sure some others in similar life spots could use too!)
Xoxo,
Kate
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