We all joyously rang out 2020 and welcomed 2021 with open arms. But it’s important to recognise that things haven’t automatically changed when the calendar flipped a page to January.
We have been living with the impacts of Covid-19 for almost a year now….social isolation, mental stress, financial worries. And in the early days of this new year, the world witnessed the attack on the Capitol in Washington which resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer and the 2nd impeachment of the outgoing President. These are events that will live on in history.
I lived through the days of Nixon’s impeachment but it really didn’t cause much of an impact in my life. I was a teen, going to school and working 6 nights a week. I saw little television and had barely any time to read newspapers. There was no internet or social media to bombard my brainwaves. Not so today. It is far too easy to get lost in that rabbit hole of fantastical stories and opinions every where you turn. We are bombarded with horrific numbers of new Covid-19 cases and deaths. We witness the images of hate-fueled individuals beating a police officer with the American flag. And the hate that has been unleashed won’t magically disappear when a new President is inaugurated on January 20th.
I lived through the days of Nixon’s impeachment but it really didn’t cause much of an impact in my life. I was a teen, going to school and working 6 nights a week. I saw little television and had barely any time to read newspapers. There was no internet or social media to bombard my brainwaves. Not so today. It is far too easy to get lost in that rabbit hole of fantastical stories and opinions every where you turn. We are bombarded with horrific numbers of new Covid-19 cases and deaths. We witness the images of hate-fueled individuals beating a police officer with the American flag. And the hate that has been unleashed won’t magically disappear when a new President is inaugurated on January 20th.
All of this is causing many people a great deal of stress. And this stress, over an extended period of time, affects our health, both mental and physical. Some will experience depression or anxiety. Stress may cause high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke. Others may internalise this stress, resulting in gastrointestinal issues such as ulcers. Cuts and wounds even heal more slowly! Ongoing stress can affect one’s memory, as can the social isolation we have all been enduring.
So that’s the bad news. The good news is that there are easy, low or no cost things we can do to alleviate this stress in our lives.
Self-care is not an indulgence – it is a necessity! Self-care can include participating in hobbies like knitting, baking or playing a musical instrument. Meditation or meditative activities like those mentioned actually reduce your cortisol levels according to a study at the University of Lausanne.
So that’s the bad news. The good news is that there are easy, low or no cost things we can do to alleviate this stress in our lives.
Self-care is not an indulgence – it is a necessity! Self-care can include participating in hobbies like knitting, baking or playing a musical instrument. Meditation or meditative activities like those mentioned actually reduce your cortisol levels according to a study at the University of Lausanne.
Get out of your pjs. Take a shower. Dab on a little makeup if that makes you feel good! Get dressed in your warm woollies and head into nature for a little vitamin D. Take a hike, go snowshoeing or enjoy a stroll along the beach. Even shovelling that snow can reduce stress and anxiety! Enjoying outdoor activities will also help you to get a better night’s sleep.
If you adopt some form of time management system, you can not only schedule business and household tasks, you can ensure that you also schedule some time for self-care. Maybe you won’t accomplish everything on your “to do” list every day. Rather than focus on what you didn’t get done, take pride in what you did accomplish! And self-care is as much of a first-level priority as are business and household priorities.
Little things can brighten one’s day. When I’m feeling overwhelmed or anxious, I dab a little Ewe Love Massage Oil on my wrists and temples. The lavender essential oil found in our Morningstar, Foggy Day and Moonbeam blends reduces anxiety. It also works wonders for dry skin patches!
Little things can brighten one’s day. When I’m feeling overwhelmed or anxious, I dab a little Ewe Love Massage Oil on my wrists and temples. The lavender essential oil found in our Morningstar, Foggy Day and Moonbeam blends reduces anxiety. It also works wonders for dry skin patches!
I also read a suggestion that we consider leaving our Christmas lights on through the dark winter days. Absolutely, take down the Santa and reindeer decorations. But twinkling white lights and candles create such a cozy feeling. Why relegate these joys to only a few weeks around the Christmas season?
Obviously, I enjoy knitting – especially projects that do not have urgent deadlines! I love the fact that, for around $50.00, you can knit a Briggs and Little wool sweater. Hours and hours of enjoyment knitting your creation plus years (if not decades if you peek inside my closet) of pleasure wearing your sweater! Or, indulge in a spot of luxury. Pick up a skein of alpaca/merino wool for around $30.00 – less than the cost of an evening out. Compare a couple of hours of fun versus the sheer thrill of working with yarn as soft as a cloud. Not to say that I don’t enjoy a good evening out. But when you make the comparison, you can see that it’s pretty darned easy to justify adding something sumptuous to your stash.
I also love sharing the joy of knitting. Our “Ewe Love to Knit” nights are the perfect blend of camaraderie, laughter, chatter and knitting. In fact, I was given the best compliment!!! Toby is a regular knit-nighter as well as a shepherd who raises Icelandic sheep and she also has a full-time job. One day, she was chatting with a colleague who asked how her day was going. She said that she might need an extra glass of wine that evening. Then she remembered that it was knit night – which she said was even better for relaxing after a stressful day than that glass of wine would have been!
Obviously, I enjoy knitting – especially projects that do not have urgent deadlines! I love the fact that, for around $50.00, you can knit a Briggs and Little wool sweater. Hours and hours of enjoyment knitting your creation plus years (if not decades if you peek inside my closet) of pleasure wearing your sweater! Or, indulge in a spot of luxury. Pick up a skein of alpaca/merino wool for around $30.00 – less than the cost of an evening out. Compare a couple of hours of fun versus the sheer thrill of working with yarn as soft as a cloud. Not to say that I don’t enjoy a good evening out. But when you make the comparison, you can see that it’s pretty darned easy to justify adding something sumptuous to your stash.
I also love sharing the joy of knitting. Our “Ewe Love to Knit” nights are the perfect blend of camaraderie, laughter, chatter and knitting. In fact, I was given the best compliment!!! Toby is a regular knit-nighter as well as a shepherd who raises Icelandic sheep and she also has a full-time job. One day, she was chatting with a colleague who asked how her day was going. She said that she might need an extra glass of wine that evening. Then she remembered that it was knit night – which she said was even better for relaxing after a stressful day than that glass of wine would have been!
Whatever form(s) of self-care you choose, just be sure to take care of yourselves, my friends!
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