The Modern Gal, one of my favorite blog-ladies, started Rocktoberfest as a way for us to put a spring in our step even though spring was a very long time ago.
I love fall so much. It’s my favorite time of year. But I really feel like this year my time has been spent more on taking care of business and less on taking care of me. I have this uncanny ability to stack my days against myself. And lately, my head has been spinning.
As someone who spends a lot of time writing about imaginary people, I think it’s important to do things to stay grounded. I have an amazing therapist, who I see on and off when I feel like I need to discuss something. A neutral person to bounce ideas off of is a priceless thing.
The last time I saw him, I was chattering on a mile a minute about all the things I had to do and that my to do list for that day already had 17 items on it. “And the tomatoes!” I said. “Don’t get me started on the tomatoes! The cherry tomato plants I planted in the garden have exploded and there are tomatoes everywhere and I don’t know what to do with them, and it’s stressing me out.”
“Interesting,” he said, smiling, “I’ve never had anyone come to me with a tomato problem before.”
This cracked me up and knocked me down a peg and put things in perspective and made me realize that I need to prioritize things differently.
That was a few weeks ago, and have I gotten my priorities straight? Well, a little bit. But not nearly enough.
So I only have one Rocktoberfest Pledge.
1. I am going to take twenty minutes of non-computer time for me every day. It’s not about the dog, or my work, or the tomatoes, or my husband, or my friends. It’s not about checking e-mail, or answering phone calls, or making dinner, or doing laundry, or any sort of multi-tasking activity. I am going to take twenty minutes to sit outside by myself and watch the leaves fall, or go for a walk alone, or drink a pumpkin-y beverage, as The MG suggests. By me, for me, and about me. 20 minutes. Because, I think that those twenty minutes will give me time to catch my breath, and if I don’t feel like I’m constantly gasping for air, I’ll be able to remind myself that it’s silly to stress out about tomatoes.
I’ve started something similar – I wake up early and take a 30 minute walk every morning before work. It gets me outside, on my own, before the day of work (aka: sitting in a cubicle rotting my eyes out in front of a computer!) starts.
It’s been WONDERFUL. I actually look forward to waking up 45 minutes earlier!
Autumn is a special time of year for me too. Taking those 20 minutes is a fab idea! If I miss the leaves falling off the trees…I miss it. I may be able to see it next year, but this season’s happenings are this season’s happenings ~ they’ll never happen again! I’m also going to spend specific time outside just experiencing.
I think this weekend I’ll bring a blanket and some hot chocolate outside to enjoy on the swing with my hubby before it’s all gone. Thanks!
~Cozy Fall Days~
Melissa
That’s a great goal! Alone time is so important.
It’s never too late for Rocktoberfest!
Time for yourself is so important and so easy to neglect too.
20 minutes? That’s it? I say give yourself at least an hour or two. And no thinking about tomatoes, either.