Took a drive out of town today. I spent some time listening to the relaxing nature of waves and enjoying the ocean view. I live right by the ocean, but rarely get out to learn more about it all. The rhythmic nature of the waves and tides moving in and out must be buried deep inside each of us as a distant memory or something. The soothing aspects of watching and hearing waves has a major impact on stress reduction. A friend noted that it soothed the soul as well as the mind. I would agree.
The opening lines of a song came to mind as I sat and watched the water move. Much of the remaining lyric is sad and not what I'd like, but the melody and tempo are restful if you don't listen to the words in the middle part <smile>. It was quite relaxing and no lonely or sad feelings passed through my head at all.
Today involved a couple of errands with much of the day spent relaxing. That felt a bit different. I keep trying to make room for time to do nothing, as it were. In actuality, relaxing isn't doing nothing, but doing something purposefully to restore some calm into our daily lives. Spending time with nature can help this process. This has been noted often during the isolation of the pandemic. Paying attention to nature can help us reset our focus. Listening to the breeze rustle leaves, hearing birds, insects and frogs, seeing the growth of plants and the fruits ripen and flowers bloom, watching the stars, planets and moon go through the phases -- each of these can help physiologically to improve relaxation. Muscles relax, shoulders drop into their normal position and breathing returns to a slower and slightly deeper rhythm. I find myself smiling without even noticing. <smile> Days where you can share all of this with a friend bring smiles when we see them smile and relax.
I had a song run through my mind that feels peaceful, but the lyrics remind me of the feelings that we might be getting to a place where our new way of daily life begins. That thought and sitting on the porch watching the world of nature brought smiles today. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Ponderings today focused on impacts of stress and anxiety. When you feel anxious or excited where do you feel it? There are many physiological responses listed in textbooks, but each person has a particular set of symptoms. Is it the abdomen -- nausea, 'butterflies,' constipation or diarrhea? Might it bring on chest tightness, urgency and frequency of urination, muscle tightness in neck, shoulders or jaw, or a headache? Do you tap feet or fingers, fidget, or pace? Is this when all the cleaning jobs get done by putting that nervous energy to use? Some of us might say yes to all of the above -- hopefully not all at the same time. <smile>.
So -- when any of these symptoms arrive, how do you handle them? While there are medications, there are also many techniques that can help with relaxation and bring things back from the limbic system to a more cerebral thought process. Breathing sounds simple, but a focus on breath intake and output helps many people. I enjoy walking since it brings a rhythm with each step and regular and deeper breathing follows. Some find meditation or music can act similarly. Grounding may become necessary if emotions take over and try to lead one into a panic zone. We don't all recognize this as it is ramping up and heading into bizarro land. Those we work or live with can help to bring people back to a logical thinking place. Self-grounding can be difficult for some people as this means noticing the chain of events before it gets out of control and then working to regain control. Such techniques bring back usual breathing, heart rate and blood pressure -- things we can't see, but may feel.
Song lyrics reminded me of much of the thought process today. The song is by a young award-winning artist. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Recently, I've been thinking through the feelings of anticipation. These involve excitement, which is generally seen as a source of positive stress and trepidation, which includes negative stresses. The combination brings butterfly sensations and may escalate to more severe abdominal symptoms. Yet, anticipation is part of looking forward to some future event. Now it is that future forward process that means events will not happen in the present, thus ensuring extended periods of time between now and when the thing we are anticipating actually occurs. This involves waiting, something I do not do well or with any degree of patience. <smile>
As I have been thinking of this process, a song ran through my head -- one I have used here in the past. The artist and band present a song that speaks to the whole concept of process of anticipation. Keep well. Enjoy!
My day was filled with many things.The first outing was to vote. In the first 2 hours they had 100+ people. It seemed steady with only one or two people in line for the single voting booth. Most people I know have been voting in the advance poll for the last few elections. It is great to see this civic engagement and for me, great to miss the larger polling venue on election day. I had to make a quick trip to the store when I discovered that there was no shampoo in the cupboard. Later I visited a friend to use their printer and scanner. I do need to get one of my own soon. I planned to do this in the spring of 2020, but life had other plans. I wanted to do some online searching and then go to speak to someone at a store to discuss the various features between similar machines. Maybe I will get in to do this in the near future. <smile> In the early evening, a major task took a bit longer to do than I'd hoped and it left me feeling fatigued, but it is done and that is great.
I went for a short walk in the cooler evening air to mail a letter. Lots of student activity in the houses throughout the neighbourhood. It is the end of the first week of classes. Most were smaller gatherings with mild noise as you passed by, but there were a couple that were out of the comfort range <sigh>. It is their way of dealing with all the pent up emotions of the week. Looks like a night for ear plugs.
Trying to find something to make me smile about the noise factor brought a song to mind. I imagine the lyrics could match the ideas the partying crews had in mind tonight. Stay safe. Enjoy!
The weather turned humid and grey today as the outer bands of hurricane Larry brushed by today. There was some rain this afternoon that will continue into tomorrow. Newfoundland will get the worst of this one as it is poised to make landfall on the Avalon Peninsula. A 3-month process to revise the will ended as we signed it today. There were a couple tricky parts, but it all came out well. A couple of further documents remain to be finalized, which should happen in the coming month or so. It just felt like time to be an adult and get things like this done. <smile>
I woke at 5 AM today with a loud shouting man out back. It wasn't clear if he was in my back yard or on the other side of the fence in the graveyard. It was too dark to tell. There seemed to be a second quieter voice, but only this fellow was yelling in an unintelligible way, so I don't know what was at issue. I managed to fall back to sleep, but had weird dreams about people and police in my front and back yards -- so not overly restful. Later this morning while making breakfast and looking out the kitchen window, there seemed to be something on the ground out by the fence. A walk out showed me that there was a pair of gold sneakers, a blue and red ball cap and a matching blue and red jacket. All were clean and new-ish looking. I'm not sure where they came from, but it is likely related to the episode with the loud dude. I moved them to a different area outside my yard but still clearly visible to anyone who might come hunting for them during the daylight hours.
The song shared today came to mind as I thought about me peering into the darkness in the early morning. It made me smile as what little I could make out in the black of night could be just as sensible as what the lyrics present <smile>. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Looking Out my Back Door -- Creedence Clearwater Revivial
The day was sunny and warm. Just after lunch a house up the block began a blow out. There was a table with drinks and papers and such in their front yard. As more people arrived things got louder, including the need to begin to shout over the dialed up music. I could feel the bass beat through the furniture I sat on. I even heard it while having a shower. I do like to see students back for school and the positives that they bring. It is very difficult to get over the numerous negatives. Few seem to be masking or distancing. This group doesn't seem to care about the other people who live around them. I'm afraid this doesn't bode well for the next several months. I guess curmudgeon mode is on for the foreseeable future <grump>.
I headed up to campus to drop off some things and do a bit of printing. It was quiet in the building, though it was closer to 6 PM. I saw a couple of people and had a quick chat with each of them. That alone helped me feel calmer. Juggling the many anxiety inducing bits of life seems tough and one or two additional things can make it go in all directions. Finding the things that help -- chatting with friends, going for a walk, listening to music or having a bath or shower -- can move us into a slightly better place. Those micro-moments of peace are treasures.
I was thinking of songs that bring a calming feel. There were several that came to mind quickly. The melody is often the calming part and the lyrics are secondary. One had a great melody with words that painted a great picture in my mind. I'll share the first of these to enter my mind today. I guess it is great that there are a number of songs that can help ground me on stressful days. <smile>. Keep well. Enjoy!
