[Chesire]

This is a place holder.  I'll come back with more later, but the basics are I was wrung out at the end of the last challenge, mentally, emotionally, and physically.  I realized I've taken physical rest as needed but not mental.  I've been pushing for a long time.  So this time I don't care.  I'm not reaching for anything.  I'm coasting by design.  I'll spend some time focusing on finding metal balance.  I'm here!

[KeysMcGee]

Glad you’re here. Go get yourself some rest. Following for support!

[Chesire]

@KeysMcGee  I recall you asked me how the Happify app that I get through my insurance is.  I don't think it's quite what I need so my opinion isn't stellar.  I can see some of the activities have great value (recalling truly happy memories or make a point to thank someone important in your life) but they seem disjointed to me.  Also I'm not quite sure how the little games where I'm popping balloons with positive words really benefits me.  But that may just be me.  I'll use it because it's free and there are a few things like but i'm keeping and eye out for something more my style, preferably something with a greater focus on the participation, like the meditation and tracking positive moments in my day.

[Chesire]

It's hot and I'm tired and this is apparently my low time of the year.  I've finally recognized that!  Something about the end of the summer and the birds go mostly quiet.  So everything feels like it weighs heavily.  AND it's hot.  I know technically the dog days are ending here soon, but I've always connected them with August so here we are.

 

That is my back story this time.

 

Other pertinent details.  MrC and I just sold our house.  We (mostly me cuz I had more time and ability) push hard to get it on the market quickly and get moved out.  Now we, he and I plus one dog and one cat, are living with my parents who are amazing and are letting us stay as long as needed until we can find a house to have a real home.  Also I just changed jobs and had a lacking training week and am struggling to make sense of it all.  Finally MrC has been dealing with work stress (poor director communication leading to significant trouble for him) which becomes my stress.  That is finally, after 6 months of poor communication, settled as of two days ago.  So there's been lots of lots of stuff! 

 

last things before I get to the plan.

1.I took this first week as my zero week because. 

2. I need mental rest from pushing through all the things

3. no pushing for physical goals this time

 

Back to my point plan which is kind of tough to work but I'll give it a go.

 

major task:  have free time for me as it suits the day.  This can take almost any form.  Intentional reading time, crafting, a walk for me, meditation, time with a friend, as long as it allows me to settle just be.  3pts each/4 days week  💠

 

secondary task: maintain physical activity, but no pushing.  I can't stop, I'd be grumpy, but I can reduce the effort  2 pts/4 days per week  🏃‍♀️

 

minor task:  notice when I laugh or think in stories.  Both have been missing lately.  I don't want to force anything, but I should make time to look back over my day to see if it happened.  Draw it to my attention.  1 pt/ 4 days of reflecting  🐉  (the dragon made me smirk)

 

minor task:  nutrition check in.  Track a few of my normal days and see if I am where I think I am.  1pt/ 4 days week 🍎

 

Start officially Sunday

 

 

[Qnobi]

Heat sucks (all my energy, all the air out of the space, etc...). There's some real natural wisdom in dialing back the output when the air is so heavy -- hope this is a fruitful time for you and yours!

[Loveable_Bouncer]

You for self care time! May the self catering be great!

[Chesire]

Round one starts. 

 

I actually managed without a great deal of effort to do things yesterday!  I read a book!  I talked about stories with MrC!  We worked him through some work stress to a conclusion he is satisfied with! 

 

                   Su   M   T   W  Th  F  Sa

3️⃣pt     💠⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  💠  me time

2️⃣pt     ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🏃‍♀️ exercise

1️⃣pt     🐉⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🐉 stories and laughing

1️⃣pt     ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🍎 food tracking

[KeysMcGee]

On 8/5/2022 at 3:31 PM, Chesire said:

I'm not quite sure how the little games where I'm popping balloons with positive words really benefits me.

I'm imagining you tapping little balloons that say things like "rainbows", "sunshine", and "25 cent wing night at Amici's"

[KeysMcGee]

On 8/5/2022 at 4:03 PM, Chesire said:

I can't stop, I'd be grumpy

I feel this. 

[Chesire]

Oh look, it's Saturday morning and I forgot to stop in and update during the week. 

 

                   Su   M   T   W  Th  F  Sa

3️⃣pt     💠💠⬜⬜⬜💠⬜  💠  me time

2️⃣pt     ⬜🏃‍♀️⬜⬜⬜🏃‍♀️⬜  🏃‍♀️ exercise

1️⃣pt     🐉🐉⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🐉 stories and laughing

1️⃣pt     ⬜🍎⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🍎 food tracking

 

Clearly everything this won't be a perfect week and I didn't expect it to be.  But any forward motion is progress.  Also the heat and humidity finally broke so I can safely do my more usual exercises of running and park strength! 

[Qnobi]

My turn to say hoorah for the breaking temps! Hope this week is a good one!

[Chesire]

I'm happy to report I did 4 planned workouts in a row!  I had to force myself to get started and I grumped my way out the door, but I did them.  And dagnabit but doesn't my body feel better and easier to move today.  Ugh, not fair that treating it right means it treats me right.

[AlleyCat]

Yay!  Good for you making sure you did your workouts, even though you didn't want to.  It must feel great!

[Qnobi]

Woohoo! Way to drag your <hiney> out there! (had to edit for polite society)

[J3NN]

Glad you made it back on your terms, and that you realized what you're needing. Here's to listening... even when we don't like what we hear.

 

I'm curious what kind of crafting you do when it's hot, and if you transition as the weather gets better. I find I can't do crochet when it's hot unless it's something little but even then I struggle. Was wondering if it was the same for you.

 

I'm also curious about what it means to think in stories. Do tell  

[Chesire]

On 8/15/2022 at 3:53 PM, AlleyCat said:

Yay!  Good for you making sure you did your workouts, even though you didn't want to.  It must feel great!

Thank you.  It does feel great!  I don't even mind the DOMS since I earned it

 

On 8/15/2022 at 4:19 PM, Cortavion said:

Woohoo! Way to drag your <hiney> out there! (had to edit for polite society)

hehe  that word seems even more ridiculous in print than it does spoken

 

On 8/15/2022 at 7:11 PM, J3NN said:

I'm curious what kind of crafting you do when it's hot, and if you transition as the weather gets better. I find I can't do crochet when it's hot unless it's something little but even then I struggle. Was wondering if it was the same for you.

It rather depends if I have access to good a/c or not    I do definitely adjust my fiber usage for the summer and mostly work with cotton, but even that sticks and drags and can be pretty hot in my lap.  I've been slowly working on a cotton sleeveless top that is almost done.  In the past I've done shawls in fancy yarn, when I'm feeling fancy and rich enough to spend the money on nice yarns like silk blends.  Also its a great time to plan my holiday gift stuffies for kiddos in my life. 

 

If I'm stuck indoors I try to do some sewing, or get plans together for sewing and doing the parts I don't like as much like tracing patterns for alterations. 

 

Honestly mostly I take a project outside with me and sit in the shade not doing said project

On 8/15/2022 at 7:11 PM, J3NN said:

 

I'm also curious about what it means to think in stories. Do tell  

I'm all about fairy tales, traditional monster stories, mythologies, which lead me right to all kinds of current fantasy stories.  So when I'm out and about changes in the trees and the landscapes tend to suggest stories as I've imagined them.  Lots of fairy land entrances, monster dwellings (my dad missed my admittedly poor joke about retrieving my golf ball from a troll as I was searching for it under a cart bridge,) evil lairs for mad inventors/witches (depending on the vibe/day/mood/color of the sky) in dilapidated buildings. 

 

There's a spot in the woods near MrC's family cabin that is clearly a transition from the normal woods, light and bright, to the realm of some evil witch, heavy, dark, srabbly pine trees with very little growing at ground level.  story bit:  I once spotted a victim of her evil work when I saw a monstrously twisted rabbit that was roughly my size through the trees.  (it was a twisted stump from a fallen tree when I got closer.  Fortunate for me! )

 

On really good days I try to allow myself to create a little story to go with what I see, but I'm not a practiced storyteller so I just let it happen as it does.  I secretly want to develop the skill a little bit so I can entertain myself, and possibly whomever I'm with.  MrC has been surprisingly a great participant for someone who isn't much of a fairy tale person!

 

Well....  there was a little wandering through my brain for you!   Also, I don't think it was your plan, but thank you.  You might have just reawakened that portion of my brain a little bit. 

[Chesire]

How about I finish out last week's before I do this weeks?   

 

                   Su   M  T   W  Th  F  Sa

3️⃣pt     💠💠⬜⬜⬜💠💠     💠  me time 12p

2️⃣pt     ⬜🏃‍♀️⬜⬜⬜🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️    🏃‍♀️ exercise 6p

1️⃣pt     🐉🐉⬜⬜⬜🐉⬜     🐉  🐉 stories and laughing  3p

1️⃣pt     ⬜🍎⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜    🍎 food tracking  1p

 

food tracking just isn't fun.  That's my excuse  22 of 28p

 

And this week is looking pretty good

                   Su   M  T   W  Th  F  Sa

3️⃣pt     💠💠⬜⬜⬜💠💠  💠  me time  12

2️⃣pt     🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️⬜⬜⬜🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️  🏃‍♀️ exercise  8

1️⃣pt     🐉🐉⬜⬜🐉⬜⬜  🐉 stories and laughing  3

1️⃣pt     ⬜🍎🍎🍎⬜⬜⬜  🍎 food tracking  3

 

26 / 28 pt  woohoo

 

 

Apparently I need to keep in mind my work for my planning, at least until I'm more settled.  It seems like I need to make allowances for not only the actual time it takes up, but also the mental energy it uses up until it becomes more comfortable and settled. 

[Chesire]

i found this on my feed and i don't know....  what...  why is it there?  I must see more Gnome

 

[Qnobi]

What the actual <fluff> is that? ^^^^ Lol

 

On 8/20/2022 at 7:55 AM, Chesire said:

food tracking just isn't fun

I'm finding I dislike it less when planning ahead  instead of tracking what I eat in real-time or retrospectively (because I hate trying to remember to track at the end of the day or, even worse (and more frequently) the end of the week).

 

Nice week! You'll get that mid-week sling figured out soon. Do you get to leave your workspace for lunch? That's when I manage to do the "me" stuff (and break from the spreadsheet trance a bit). 

 

 

[Chesire]

On 8/21/2022 at 9:51 AM, Cortavion said:

I'm finding I dislike it less when planning ahead  instead of tracking what I eat in real-time or retrospectively (because I hate trying to remember to track at the end of the day or, even worse (and more frequently) the end of the week).

the most ridiculous part is that I plan and prep for most of the week...  and it's the same thing daily usually for two of my meals  🤣

[Chesire]

                   Su   M   T   W  Th  F  Sa

3️⃣pt     💠💠⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  💠  me time

2️⃣pt     🏃‍♀️⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🏃‍♀️ exercise

1️⃣pt     ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🐉 stories and laughing

1️⃣pt     ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🍎 food tracking

[J3NN]

On 8/17/2022 at 3:05 AM, Chesire said:

It rather depends if I have access to good a/c or not    I do definitely adjust my fiber usage for the summer and mostly work with cotton, but even that sticks and drags and can be pretty hot in my lap.  I've been slowly working on a cotton sleeveless top that is almost done.  In the past I've done shawls in fancy yarn, when I'm feeling fancy and rich enough to spend the money on nice yarns like silk blends.  Also its a great time to plan my holiday gift stuffies for kiddos in my life. 

 

If I'm stuck indoors I try to do some sewing, or get plans together for sewing and doing the parts I don't like as much like tracing patterns for alterations. 

 

Honestly mostly I take a project outside with me and sit in the shade not doing said project

Thank you for sharing. Gosh I wish it was nice enough to sit outside here. Making stuffies for holiday gifts sounds pretty fun too.

 

On 8/17/2022 at 3:05 AM, Chesire said:

I'm all about fairy tales, traditional monster stories, mythologies, which lead me right to all kinds of current fantasy stories.  So when I'm out and about changes in the trees and the landscapes tend to suggest stories as I've imagined them.  Lots of fairy land entrances, monster dwellings (my dad missed my admittedly poor joke about retrieving my golf ball from a troll as I was searching for it under a cart bridge,) evil lairs for mad inventors/witches (depending on the vibe/day/mood/color of the sky) in dilapidated buildings. 

 

There's a spot in the woods near MrC's family cabin that is clearly a transition from the normal woods, light and bright, to the realm of some evil witch, heavy, dark, srabbly pine trees with very little growing at ground level.  story bit:  I once spotted a victim of her evil work when I saw a monstrously twisted rabbit that was roughly my size through the trees.  (it was a twisted stump from a fallen tree when I got closer.  Fortunate for me! )

 

On really good days I try to allow myself to create a little story to go with what I see, but I'm not a practiced storyteller so I just let it happen as it does.  I secretly want to develop the skill a little bit so I can entertain myself, and possibly whomever I'm with.  MrC has been surprisingly a great participant for someone who isn't much of a fairy tale person!

 

Well....  there was a little wandering through my brain for you!   Also, I don't think it was your plan, but thank you.  You might have just reawakened that portion of my brain a little bit. 

That's beautiful, I LOVE that you do this. 

 

Related but not... I tend to think outside the box sometimes so forgive me, but With your love of being outdoors and this story telling inclination, have you ever considered Nature Journaling,  but instead of doing it as a research project or record, do it as a creative outlet and instead of recording how many mushrooms you see, describe the story you see? This is assuming you've heard of nature journaling... It might be a fun side quest for you. It would definitely help you build the skills.

 

I think I love your brain.  I hope it DID help, you are most welcome.💕

[Chesire]

On 8/23/2022 at 8:32 PM, J3NN said:

Related but not... I tend to think outside the box sometimes so forgive me, but With your love of being outdoors and this story telling inclination, have you ever considered Nature Journaling,  but instead of doing it as a research project or record, do it as a creative outlet and instead of recording how many mushrooms you see, describe the story you see? This is assuming you've heard of nature journaling... It might be a fun side quest for you. It would definitely help you build the skills.

Oh!  This is a great idea.  I'll look into that and see what I can make of it

[Chesire]

w/end  Aug 27

                  Su   M   T   W  Th  F  Sa

3️⃣pt     💠💠⬜⬜⬜💠💠  💠  me time  12 pt

2️⃣pt     🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️⬜⬜⬜🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️  🏃‍♀️ exercise  8pt

1️⃣pt     ⬜⬜⬜🐉⬜⬜🐉  🐉 stories and laughing  2 pt  (I know what's behind this shortcoming)

1️⃣pt     ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🍎 food tracking 0 pt  (and I know what's happening here too)

 

Obviously this was a low points week, which triggers a look inside to see what is going on with my brain.  Its been a long, long 6 months for lots of reasons.  A lot is beyond my control, but directly impacts me. (mental health of MrC)  As I just saw someone else phrase it, I need to take care of my own oxygen mask before helping others.  But this only goes so far.  Hence the exercise and me time going well, but the tracking and laughing are rough.  I'm just accepting what things are for now and will continue to do my best helping me and helping him. 

 

And so we roll on to the next week, doing the best I can

[Chesire]

This last week I'm switching out food tracking for alcohol tracking.  I know most of my useless calories come from that.   Personal rule!  I can have a treat I would have denied myself because of the used up calories. (twisty logic:  even a cookie will have more nutritional value than a glass of anything else.  Also, I get tired of cookies real fast, they make my teeth feel weird)

 

I don't usually drink more than two on any given night, but unfortunately the given nights have become more frequent.  (See reasons last post)  so my goal this week is to limit to 2 nights and that is only not 1 because I'll be having dinner with friends one night and vacation starts this weekend.  I've enlisted a friend to be an "alcohol confessor" so I have someone I'm accountable to aka I have to honestly put it in writing

 

                Su   M   T   W  Th  F  Sa

3️⃣pt     💠⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  💠  me time

2️⃣pt     🏃‍♀️⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🏃‍♀️ exercise

1️⃣pt     🐉⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  🐉 stories and laughing

1️⃣pt     ❤️⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜  ❤️ drink tracking

 

A notion is growing in my little brain; using @J3NN's idea for story journaling.  I plan to spend some time during zero week/ vacation week to work out what the looks like for me.