It’s been a month since I wrote! Covid was “mild” for me but it lingered. And it sort of came back, the cough, the sinus issues, the exhaustion and body aches. I ended up doing a round of prednisone and that finally got rid of it. But I was basically sick for 7 weeks.
The weather here in Portland has been pretty delightful lately. We had a few stormy days but overall it’s been sunny and warm and it feels like summer. Recently I decided to take a Friday off just for me. Logan was in school, Michael had to go to the office, Zoey was in daycare and I said, I need a day for me. I did some yardwork, I went for a hike with Bella, I met a friend for lunch and then met another friend for happy hour.
I was talking to my therapist recently about how burned out I’ve been feeling. Feeling discouraged about just life in general. The grind. Feeling like all I do is work, take care of the kids and do chores. I know this is just the season of life, but it’s been hard. ALSO seasonal depression is rough. Once I start to see some sunshine, I definitely feel a lot better. Anyways, I realized that I needed to do more SELF-CARE.
Self-care is such an ambiguous phrase. What does it really mean? My homework from my therapist is to find out what self-care means for me. So far it means:
Rest — including taking a nap!
Reading
Taking a bath and relaxing
Massages/Acupuncture
Taking a walk
Having a glass of wine outside in nice weather
Swimming
Hiking in nature
Listening to music
Spending time with friends
Volunteering
I’ve been at my job for 16 years and because of that, I have a ton of vacation time (even after using a lot for maternity leave!) and I accrue a lot more after the 15 year mark. I decided that this summer I am going to take more days off just for mental health days. I already requested a bunch of Fridays off this summer and I am making plans to do fun things– or REST. Maybe I’ll just sit outside and read by myself. Who knows?
In other news, Zoey is growing like a weed and she’s a feisty little diva. She is entering the stage of wanting to do EVERYTHING herself. LOL
Logan is finishing up soccer. School is almost over. This summer he is going to be doing a soccer camp and golf lessons! We have a few vacations planned with family. I am SO ready for FUN and SUMMER!
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