[Harriet]

I have low and variable energy, and am trying to avoid crashes that last for weeks. Apparently my fatigue is due to viral reactivation, which is primarily triggered by stress, especially psychological stress. I should continue with meditation, good sleep, low-stress exercise, and somatic therapy. The year of hippie wellness shit continues, as does the year of bujo, because it provides a flexible, mindful approach to scheduling that can be done even during crashes.

 

 

Spaceship goes Zoom!

 

• For the Love of Iron: I have designated 2024 the year in which I establish a consistent lifting habit with love, enjoyment, and strict fatigue management to prevent crashes. I’ll continue doing my 4 times weekly easy upper/lower lifting sessions, and take a “deload” at the end of April when I am travelling to Cassis, France, for two weeks.
• Forest Footsteps: 7000 steps per day. Not so high as to cause fatigue (and joint pain), not so low as to cause fatigue (and depression).

 

 

Central Processor Recalibration

 

• Somatic Scan: I need to stay serious about the meditation for its nervous system retuning effects. I should keep doing the bodyscan meditation daily. I do this at lunch time and it doubles as a wholesome nap.
• Tippety tappety: I’m doing regular somatic experiencing therapy. I should take advantage of this and do the tapping exercise the therapist gave me. I should actually read the exercise, and then try it at different times of day to see when it fits.
• Radar for Glimmers: I’m trying to retune my anxiety by finding cues of safety, abundance, beauty and wholesomeness to communicate to my nervous system. 

 

 

Spaceship Maintenance

 

• Sparkling Cleanliness: The move to Munich will happen later this year, so I should continue gradually spring cleaning our apartment so it doesn’t sneak up on me.
• Fresh New Coat: Relaxing Sundays where I paint my nails and do some other beauty and household things as self care and space care. 

 

 

Is there anything hippie-wellness I can add? I haven’t managed to go out much, or to buy a houseplant. I guess I want to stabilise the lifting programme before adding much more activity. Oils, massages, yoga? Prayer to a dark and violent deity, or the pitiless elemental spirits of the earth? Lifting as an embodied prayer to the earth element? Reading in the sun as an embodied prayer to the fire element? Some sort of spiritual practice in the sunlight after lifting at the kitchen table when the sun hits that window at mid morning? I may edit depending on what I decide.

 

And lastly, some vaguely space themed metal:

Spoiler

 

 

[Harriet]

I started with bujo and did:

 

gym

walk

knit ginger cat

try tapping exercise

tidy house

 

I somehow missed the nap and meditation, and haven't made any spring cleaning progress for a few days. Gym was deadlifts, reverse lunges, and leg press. Lunges are allegedly good for one, but if I'm limited by cardio is it the best option? Might be better to do a two legged movement to reduce the fatigue from bobbing up and down so much.

[Everstorm]

 

Here for you!

[Sovalis]

Delighted to be aboard on this voyage! 

 

[Laghail]

Did you just make a challenge themed after Greg Universe? I'm taken but I feel the urge to propose.

[Harriet]

44 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

 

Here for you!

 

Thank you! 

 

37 minutes ago, Sovalis said:

Delighted to be aboard on this voyage! 

 

 

Welcome!

 

21 minutes ago, Laghail said:

Did you just make a challenge themed after Greg Universe? I'm taken but I feel the urge to propose.

 

Never heard of him. I was just feeling Mass Effective 

 

[sarakingdom]

1 hour ago, Harriet said:

Is there anything hippie-wellness I can add? I haven’t managed to go out much, or to buy a houseplant.

 

Herbs make great houseplants, and hippies probably think some of them counter stress, have antiviral properties, and promote wellness on their own. An oregano and a thyme plant might be green allies against viral activation.

[Sea-to-sky]

 

very here for this. Space theme is awesome and so is the metal. 
mindfulness might be a good option to try if your not already. I like to do this when I'm drinking tea. In the summer i take the tea outside and just sit and enjoy the garden. 
i agree with @sarakingdom, herbs are a good option. Especially something pretty bombproof like a chive or mint plant. Succulents are also a good pick as minimum fuss required

 

 

 

[Harriet]

1 hour ago, sarakingdom said:

 

Herbs make great houseplants, and hippies probably think some of them counter stress, have antiviral properties, and promote wellness on their own. An oregano and a thyme plant might be green allies against viral activation.

 

That's a good point--I could much more easily buy a herb plant from the grocery store than go to a proper plant shop. But I would have to put it in a cute pot, obviously. And not accidentally eat it. Mainstream medicine also thinks herbs have antiviral properties! But do they let the basil into their hearts and let their herb maintenance embody prayer to the spirits of earth and verdure? 

We're currently discussing what plants will go in the garden in Munich. Mr Harriet is going to go to a nursery in another German city to pick the actual trees. I will be unable to go with him, as the landscape man explained it would be a whole day of walking around (with 2 x 5 hour train trips). I am slightly sad. But I intend to give every plant a name and to take care of them like family. My favourite of the suggested plants is the witch hazel, also named hamamelis or Zaubernuss. 

 

Spoiler

 

1 hour ago, Sea-to-sky said:

very here for this. Space theme is awesome and so is the metal. 

 

Welcome to (this) space 😊

 

1 hour ago, Sea-to-sky said:

mindfulness might be a good option to try if your not already

 

The body scan meditation and search for glimmers are both mindfulness practices ❤️ 

[sarakingdom]

19 minutes ago, Harriet said:

That's a good point--I could much more easily buy a herb plant from the grocery store than go to a proper plant shop. But I would have to put it in a cute pot, obviously.

 

Obvs. A bigger one, probably; stores usually overcrowd those plants so that volume makes up for time in making them look big and bushy, but then they're prone to dying, because they're too crowded.

 

I'm also big on using store plants as a source of cuttings, and creating lots of backup plants. It gives you several that aren't crowded, and I think it helps the stressed store plant be less stressed to be supporting fewer stems as it settles in.

 

 

19 minutes ago, Harriet said:

And not accidentally eat it.

 

It would be helpful to eat some. Pruning them helps them grow bushier and bigger. It's really a win-win.

[Everstorm]

22 minutes ago, Harriet said:

My favourite of the suggested plants is the witch hazel,

Ooh, that color is amazing.  I think I was only aware of yellow witch hazel.

[Mad Hatter]

Houseplants you can eat make the best houseplants. All for the herbs. 

 

12 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Ooh, that color is amazing.  I think I was only aware of yellow witch hazel.

Same! See there's also lovely purple varieties.

[Harriet]

20 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

 

Obvs. A bigger one, probably; stores usually overcrowd those plants so that volume makes up for time in making them look big and bushy, but then they're prone to dying, because they're too crowded.

 

I'm also big on using store plants as a source of cuttings, and creating lots of backup plants. It gives you several that aren't crowded, and I think it helps the stressed store plant be less stressed to be supporting fewer stems as it settles in.

 

It would be helpful to eat some. Pruning them helps them grow bushier and bigger. It's really a win-win.

 

Thank you, I didn't know!

[Harriet]

I did bujo, long walk, short walk, housework, reading, and meditation. No gym today as it is rest day. I didn't remember to find any glimmers and didn't do any spring cleaning or tapping exercise.

[Everstorm]

What is the tapping exercise, exactly?

[Jarric]

On 3/22/2024 at 4:52 PM, Harriet said:

Lunges are allegedly good for one, but if I'm limited by cardio is it the best option? Might be better to do a two legged movement to reduce the fatigue from bobbing up and down so much.

 

I'd say they're still doing their job  even if cardio is the limiting factor. Assuming that you get more out of breath with weight than without, the weight is still having an effect.

 

Also, SPACE!

 

 

[Harriet]

22 hours ago, Everstorm said:

What is the tapping exercise, exactly?

 

It's a somatic experiencing exercise where you tap on different points on your face and body while lightly holding in mind something that slightly upsets you. No idea how it's meant to work but I'm willing to try it.

 

19 hours ago, Jarric said:

 

I'd say they're still doing their job  even if cardio is the limiting factor. Assuming that you get more out of breath with weight than without, the weight is still having an effect.

 

I try to avoid cardio because fo the CFS--in fact, my fatigue doctor specifically ordered me not to do anything where I cannot breathe through my nose. I hope to take up more cardio heavy exercise later, but for now I just want to avoid crashes or delaying my (possibly non existent, fantasy) recovery. The thing with the lunges is that it's impossible to get to the low-reps-in-reserve, moderately hard set that I have read is helpful for growth/strength. I'm sure you get some stimulus very far from failure, just not much. They're all kind of warm up sets, I guess. Not the end of the world but probably not super effective. 

 

19 hours ago, Jarric said:

Also, SPACE!

 

 

 

I know, right? It's so spacious here!

 

[Harriet]

Did bujo, 2 walks, washed hair, did nails, did laundry, read, knit, changed sheets, took down rubbish, meditated. Pretty restful. I also finished mass effect 2 with its dramatic finale. So wonderful. Both the story and the shooting. Yay! Rest day successful, back to the gym tomorrow ❤️ One nice thing I noticed is that I have been sleeping quite well the last couple of weeks. Possibly a result of gym plus routine plus keeping my steps at 7000? It seems to be above the threshold where sedentariness causes disregulation of various sorts, but below the threshold that causes fatigue and pain. 

[Laghail]

2 hours ago, Harriet said:

 

It's a somatic experiencing exercise where you tap on different points on your face and body while lightly holding in mind something that slightly upsets you. No idea how it's meant to work but I'm willing to try it.

 

FWIW laura swears by tapping. Not like utters expletives via tapping as a form of communication, but the more sane interpretation, where she appreciates tapping as a helpful modality.

 

2 hours ago, Harriet said:

I try to avoid cardio because fo the CFS--in fact, my fatigue doctor specifically ordered me not to do anything where I cannot breathe through my nose.

 

 

Again, same for Laura. They have a whole graph of how she's supposed to "step up" her exercise intensity at half-speed of someone without an autoimmune conditions.

 

2 hours ago, Harriet said:

I also finished mass effect 2 with its dramatic finale.

 

Which ending did you go for?

 

2 hours ago, Harriet said:

One nice thing I noticed is that I have been sleeping quite well the last couple of weeks. Possibly a result of gym plus routine plus keeping my steps at 7000? It seems to be above the threshold where sedentariness causes dysregulation of various sorts, but below the threshold that causes fatigue and pain. 

 

Love this window for you. We should name it. Like, the zone of ultimate puissance, or something similarly understated.  

[Scaly Freak]

On 3/22/2024 at 2:14 PM, sarakingdom said:

It would be helpful to eat some. Pruning them helps them grow bushier and bigger. It's really a win-win.

 

So... go to grocery store and obtain rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano.... or starters. Got it.  

[sarakingdom]

28 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

So... go to grocery store and obtain rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano.... or starters. Got it.  

 

Yes. Rosemary is a little temperamental in my experience, and will be happier planted in the ground. (The sunnier and drier the better. It's hard in pots because it's very sensitive to how its water is regulated. It can be done, but I find it hard.) All the others are super easy.

 

All of those are perennial and will come back every year if you plant them outside or in a pot that you winter over. (Rosemary has a narrower winter temperature range, so that may not hold true in Germany, for instance. Some varieties are more cold hardy than others, and might be just about doable, but it's more of a challenge.)

 

They will also all root from cuttings, so you can turn one starter (or even sprigs from the fresh herb refrigerator section - I've turned those back into plants) into many plants. (Surprise, rosemary is the one that's going to be the problem child. It doesn't always root as easily. But it can do it.)

 

(If rosemary gets established in a climate it likes, it's a goddamn hedge, so it isn't always so finicky...)

 

Basil is also a great one for that. All of that holds true except for being perennial. It's not. (Mint is, thats also a good one.) But if you keep rooting new cuttings, you can keep new plants coming infinitely, so basil might as well be perennial if it gets the right care.

 

 

(This guy buys one unhappy plant, then turns it into eight plants in the first month, and turns those eight into eighteen in another month.)

 

Where you cut them to harvest, they grow back with two branches from the previous leaf node, and that's how they bush out and get nice and full. You want to give them a nice all-over haircut every time they grow out a couple of pairs of leaves, so they go 1-2-4-8-16 stems.

[Sepherina]

A bit late to the game this time but here to follow and support.

 

[Harriet]

21 hours ago, Laghail said:

FWIW laura swears by tapping. Not like utters expletives via tapping as a form of communication, but the more sane interpretation, where she appreciates tapping as a helpful modality.

 

Lol. Good to have a recommend.

 

21 hours ago, Laghail said:

Again, same for Laura. They have a whole graph of how she's supposed to "step up" her exercise intensity at half-speed of someone without an autoimmune conditions.

 

Oh, really? I haven't gotten much advice or help of any kind. 

 

21 hours ago, Laghail said:

Which ending did you go for?

 

SPOILERS for ME2 OBVIOUSLY:
 

Spoiler

I played a pretty straight up paragon, won everyone's loyalty, saved everyone and destroyed the collector base and told the (illusive) man to get fucked. The only big renegade thing I did was destroying the heretic geth instead of rewriting, because I was concerned that reintegrating them into the rest of the geth, with their previous beliefs and memories of having their free will overwritten, would possibly be a more devastating mistake than simply killing them. 

 

21 hours ago, Laghail said:

Love this window for you. We should name it. Like, the zone of ultimate puissance, or something similarly understated.  

 

Let's wait and see if I crash in the next couple of months before we baptise it beautifully

 

5 hours ago, Sepherina said:

A bit late to the game this time but here to follow and support.

 

You're not late at all. Welcome to space!

[Harriet]

Did bujo, gym, walk, meditation, knitting, reading. Bit tired today and lost track of the time. Didn't manage tapping or spring cleaning or painting, which I had planned.

[Laghail]

2 hours ago, Harriet said:

Oh, really? I haven't gotten much advice or help of any kind. 

 

Cool if I get some Mayo Clinic e-literature from Laura to send you? It's all aimed at CFS and FMS patients, but zero sweat if you find it inapplicable to your situation.

 

2 hours ago, Harriet said:

 

SPOILERS for ME2 OBVIOUSLY:
 

  Hide contents

I played a pretty straight up paragon, won everyone's loyalty, saved everyone and destroyed the collector base and told the (illusive) man to get fucked. The only big renegade thing I did was destroying the heretic geth instead of rewriting, because I was concerned that reintegrating them into the rest of the geth, with their previous beliefs and memories of having their free will overwritten, would possibly be a more devastating mistake than simply killing them. 

 

Paragons make me happy to play in most video games, unless they're trying to shove "thin blue line" / police worship down my throat.

 

(Non-Americans, "Thin blue line" is a brand of American rhetoric that praises policing to the extreme of excusing police brutality, and advocates dismantling systems of accountability for police officers. Some people who use thin blue line rhetoric are the family and friends of police officers and are concerned about their loved one's safety, tbf. It's a nuanced American conversation that is currently not going well. Send help.)