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the gardens
One of the silver lines of Covid has been extra time in the gardens. I’m a lazy gardener, which is to say, my gardens are haphazard and a bit wild and I’m not doing much to tame them. But my gosh they are stunning this year and I’m finding so much joy just playing in the dirt. Getting “back to normal” isn’t holding much appeal for me right now. I’m much more interested in creating a new normal, one in which I spend as much time outside as I do inside. #lifegoals
Breathing
2020 has been rough. For everyone. Much ink has been spilled describing the collective trauma and lack of productivity we are experiencing as a society. Illness, economic insecurity, loneliness, isolation, depression, anxiety, and fear are both cause and effect of our poor mental health in the midst of this global pandemic.
I don’t know about you, but the thing I want most is to have some sense of control and right now, there’s not much in my control so I’ve taken to the basics for making myself feel better. Everyday – drink water, write some stuff down (so I don’t forget things), eat vegetables, move my body, breathe.
I’ve combine the moving my body with breathing in the act of a morning walk – most days – to the lake where I sit in the quiet and practice breathing. Early in the pandemic, I also started snapping a picture so that when I’m not at the lake, I can still practice breathing. (Yes, I know I can breath without the lake but somehow this feels better.)
It’s not a complicated practice (and sometimes I dismiss simple as “not good enough”) but it does seem to be doing the trick. It’s making me feel less anxious in what continue to be very anxious times. A few weeks ago Brené Brown interviewed Emily and Amelia Nagoski on Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle. It was fascinating (highly recommend!) and reaffirmed that breathing is good – for your mind and body. Pretty lakes don’t hurt either.