It was a long holiday weekend this past weekend, and I decided I was not going to do any work. It was "spring cleaning" for my brain. I decided I would laze around, take time just for myself to relax, do some crafts, take a nap (I think I've had 5 in 25 years), stay in my pyjamas and just do nothing special unless I felt like it.
Normally, I'd be working at most, about 6 hours each day of the weekend and on a holiday, but not this time. I think I only did about 6 hours the whole 3 days in total - whooo wheee!
I baked cookies and cooked dinners for the next few days so I wouldn't have to cook again until Thursday. I watched some TV and browsed my social media. I washed a crap load of dishes and did a couple loads of laundry. I swept the floor and tidied up a little bit, but mainly, went outdoors a bit here and there just to watch the birds and get some sunshine, but I also did very little.
This was a much needed rest for me. I'm usually on the go all the time, and felt I really had to recharge. I get like this every 4 or 5 months where I feel like I'm going to crash and actually begin to feel like a cold is coming on, so before this happened, I decided this is the break time I need in order to jump back in with both feet and get on with my life and work. I was starting to feel down, and exhausted, and foggy, heavy-headed with a slight headache, my back was aching, etc. so I had to stop it before it bloomed into something bigger.
Now that the weekend is over, and today is a work day where I have to leave the house to do work for others, rather than work from home, I am feeling ready. I had the chance to make decisions this past weekend on my next chapter of life... what I wish to do next and what I wish to achieve next and get this moving forward. I was in a bit of a stalemate for a couple months there and felt like I was not moving forward at all. Part of that was because I was tired and part of it was that I was feeling unhappy with the lack of others doing their part in what affects my life choices.
However, I've talked to myself and affirmed that I can only change me and my decisions. I can only make positive changes to improve my life. I cannot rely on others to change or improve my life in any way. After this personal inner pep-talk, I have a renewed positive outlook and will strive for all the things I need and want to do. I feel better, calmer, with more clarity and focus, and not tired.
This goes to prove to me that when I'm feeling down and like I'm going in circles, it affects my stress levels, even though I don't realize it, and my body hampers down and feels like it is shutting down and I start to feel bad and almost in a depressed way. I see how my mood affected my well being in a negative way. Today, my mood is better, as I made sure when I woke up, I told myself I'm going to shower, have a healthy breakfast, feed all the animals, make the daily floats, prepare a snack with me for work, and smile, and be ready for a great productive day.
In doing this, I feel so much better already. I feel inspired, content, eager to make my new plans for the week, month and so on. I feel good and healthy and energized. My mood definitely affects how my life is lived. So, onward and upward... til next time, be kind to yourself and wear a smile - it helps. B.
Bermudiana Flower
Bermudiana Flower