Month: February 2021

The need to rest

Having reached week eight of 2021 lockdown living, I am well and truly ready for a break from work. And this despite the fact that I absolutely love what I do.

However, I’ve been utilising the additional time and energy afforded by the restrictions to paint the house from top to bottom alongside work and other creative projects.  Whilst I feel very satisfied with what I have achieved, I have also completely exhausted myself!

Hence, I’ve consulted with the calendar, counted down the remaining weeks until Easter and decided I need a break now to see me through.

The responses I get to this time off vary from ‘going anywhere exotic – haha’, to, ‘oh, you’re having time off when you can’t do anything?’.

It would seem that in general terms it is considered wasteful to take holiday when you can’t go away on holiday.

Not by me!

Sure, I would like to take off on a jaunt to the coast.  I miss the sight, sound and space of being by the sea.  But just because I can’t do what I really want to do, does not mean I wont do what I can do or enjoy it to the max.

And so, next week I will simply enjoy alarm clock free waking and work free living.

The days are a little longer and for now at least way milder than the snowy temperatures we saw a few short weeks back.

I look forward to taking walks without clock watching, week day bike rides and a leisurely nose around the garden centres for some Spring time inspiration.

I plan to sit still and actually enjoy being in the conservatory and new house in general, rather than going flat out to decorate it.

I even plan to make time to read more than one newspaper in the week. What luxury!

And I may even go crazy and sit and read my book.

Or walk through the fields with my camera at sunset.

I’ll probably indulge in some baking and creating in the kitchen.

Maybe I’ll have a few catch up calls with friends.

What’s not to love?

The fact that I cannot do many of the activities I may want to, does not mean that I cease to need time out to rest from my usual responsibilities.

Rest remains as, if not more, important than ever.

Bring it on.

Beware the Joy Thief

In recent weeks whilst listening to people, it has struck me that many people are not doing the very things that they love doing and could be doing.

Of course, I can’t say this without acknowledging that there are many things that we cannot do right now whatever our circumstances.  

And of course right up there is the inability to be with those we love.

This is no small loss.

And it is dragging on.

However, it can be easy to become so immersed in the frustration, disappointment, despondency, irritation, repetitiveness and sadness of this lived reality that we fail to see above or beyond it.

Or that we get so distracted by judging who we think is and is not following the rules that we cease to see let alone implement what we could be doing differently within our own lives. (A flawed and fruitless part of human behaviour not restricted to pandemic times!)

Upon further questioning, people typically begin to recognise that there are creative pursuits and fun or relaxing endeavours that are still entirely possible at this time.  Things in fact that they love doing but are not!

How easy it can be to lose sight of what is possible whilst in the midst of the unavoidable restrictions and subsequent losses.

We are all human.

We all get stuck at times.

We all get fed up.

We can all fail to see what is happening right under our noses.

But please, be especially alert at this time to the joy thief whose rampage is particularly subtle but also addressable.

We cannot control the pandemic or when and how the restrictions will be lifted.

But we can choose not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

If you know there are things that you love doing and that are possible at this time, go and do them!

As the pandemic reminds us, life is too fragile to waste a single day not making time for that which uplifts, nourishes, relaxes or brings forth joy and laughter.

Come on people, we are allowed to lose our your know what as long as we don’t hurt ourselves or others in the process but there comes a time when we need to choose not to lose the joy that is possible.

As I keep hearing at the moment, life is for the living …

The holiday ban

Back at the start of January when I was at risk of falling in to a hole of lockdown induced apathy, I realised that I needed to plan what was possible for me to do, if I didn’t want to start losing my energy, motivation and general joy de vivre.

I am pleased to share that this has been going rather well.

I am currently on schedule for painting the entire house, yes wood work and all, by the end of February.  At which point, I can focus on making small additions and tweaks here and there.  I love the process of creating a warm and inviting space to live in, even if for now, it is only me, the cat and my support bubble who get to enjoy it!

In addition, my lifelong desire to write my first book is translating in to real sustained action!

Despite the odd flurry of snow or rain, I’ve still managed a near daily appointment with nature too.

And, I have been trying out various new recipes on the support bubble.  The current hands down winner, is the jam doughnut muffin.  Most dangerous.

All in all, I’ve been rather enjoying myself.  Something that perhaps my refusal to spend much time listening to the news, has allowed me to sustain.

But by last week I was feeling rather tired and realised that it was time to book a holiday to break up the Christmas to Easter stretch.

I have now booked almost a week off.

A few people have jokingly asked where I am going!

At this point I am content enough to be in the newly decorated home minus any commitment to work.  I also gain great enjoyment from exploring the surrounding areas by foot or bike so I can happily while away the days enjoying the freedom of uninterrupted time.

But, last night I happened to catch a part of the news where I heard it said that we may not be able to go away on holiday for the whole of this year.

WHAT?!

My ears tuned in.

What could this mean?

My heart sank a little.  A problem of privilege in the grand scheme of things I realise.

But, holidays are important.

We all get worn down by the daily grind of life hence the importance of a change of scenery plus a break from daily responsibilities.

And now we are being told this may not be possible all year?

None of us know how things will pan out nor whether this vaccine will allow us to assume more freedom in reality.

And that sucks.

Whilst the approach of the warmer seasons will bring more appreciation than ever this year, a block on holidays is still a loss.

We will all need to be increasingly more imaginative in how we create novel, new ways of experiencing a sense of freedom and break from the norm.

In short, to rewrite what the term holiday means and looks like.