The past year has been a whirlwind for so many of us. From Wet’suwet’en Stands to staying apart and standing together, 2020 was a buck wild beast that brought us challenges abound. Though we’re not through all of the weirdness yet, I’m sure you’ve found ways to settle your soul amidst all the cuckoo bananas. But where did you start? How do you refresh yourself? I had a lot of big changes happen throughout 2020; two house moves, some familial loss, and many new responsibilities were added to my plate. It’s been a lot of big steps in not a lot of time, and to be honest, my time at home has been spent mostly on tasks. I tend to think that keeping myself busy is good for keeping myself going. But it isn’t always… I get tired; exhausted even! Although Enigmatic is one of my favourite parts of the week, there have been times where I’ve begrudgingly done work because I’m burnt out. Recognizing my own negative patterns has made me think about how I spend my time. 

Just a little encouragement

Something that Chris and I try to encourage each other to do, besides “stay safe,” is to take care of ourselves. It seems like an easy task, humans have 3 basic needs, but self-care runs deeper than just food, water, and shelter. 

While being stuck in my home, I am surrounded by tasks. Things I continue to tell myself I should be doing. I just moved, so I should paint my walls. After lunch, dishes pile up in the sink and I should wash them. I play 3 roleplaying groups each week, and I should do some character writing. There are so many ways to keep occupied and productive. So many moving pieces to keep track of and feel bound by. However, it’s the very nature of this constant focus that becomes tiring for our bodies and souls.

In fact, it has been settling to just NOT for a while. The simplest way to care for yourself is to set aside time for you to not work on the tasks ahead. Take a break from responsibility for a selected amount of time where you decide what your focus is. Whether that looks like taking a bath, binging Netflix, baking cookies, reading a book, or something entirely different.  Or some combination of these things.  The point is, it is up to you! 

Putting aside time to be and not do can revitalize our bodies and spirits. It can be hard to relax with so many outside factors and any anxiety that comes with them. Knowing you have one hour or one day to simply be will offer an opportunity to settle back into yourself without those pesky tasks and tribulations. The act of claiming space for yourself can be a radical one!

Signing Off

When Chris and I talk on the phone, we sign off with well-wishes for each other. We recognize that we are both humans! We need food, water, and shelter, but we also need connection and fun. We have the chance to create that for ourselves, and right now, “take care” has never been so important. Start simple.

(Photo by Marko Horvat on Unsplash)