"Setting boundaries is an important act of self-care. Now is a good time to start practicing the art of saying "no" when you need to."
This week, looking through the lens of boundaries:
Of place
There are nationwide recommendations to stay home this Thanksgiving and celebrate with just your household members. We usually have a single friend over, but he recognizes the possible danger and will not be joining us for dinner. Our son is coming home from college, which means we will all have "asymptomatic carrier" worries about each other this week.
Of time
There are deadlines to meet this week--the buying and shipping of gifts, cleaning, and yes, lesson planning. I feel the need to take advantage of a week off of work to begin holiday preparations that are hard to do at the end of ten hour workdays. I love to bake, but it takes time and energy. I am doing my best to get a decent night's sleep as often as possible, for mental and physical health--and that takes time, too.
Of available space
Nothing like a week at home to make you take a hard look at piles of clutter. After trying several other decluttering methods, I am going to take the "one square foot" approach--just focus on one square foot at a time. The boundaries of available space are also affecting gift-buying decisions for both our home and our children. One is getting ready to move from Japan and doesn't want/ need anything more to pack, and the other is beginning to adopt a Marie Kondo sensibility. I love the idea of experiential gifts...but going back to boundaries of place due to COVID19...sigh.
Of physical health
I have hit my personal upper limit of weight, with boundaries imposed by clothes that don't fit and various other symptoms that I know are brought on by an unhealthy percentage of body fat. This boundary is hard to grapple with during a season of feasting. I need to use "no" more often it comes to placating myself with food, and view such as an act of self-care.
I read once or twice that self-care isn't necessarily bubble baths and chocolate bonbons, but rather doing those things that bring you health and peace of mind--like spending time with family, getting enough sleep and exercise and good-for-you food, cleaning your space to avoid a feeling of chaos in your home. I'll have to work on saying "no" to the things that get in the way of doing just that.
This is such an interesting and clever way to use the concept of "boundaries" and each one has its own unique feeling. This post is clearly you speaking to yourself, but your audience can see themselves through you. Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteTrue and intriguing take on self-care, beginning with knowing when a thing crosses a comfort level and becomes too much. I am thinking on clutter... easy to see in physical space, harder to recognize in the mind and maybe even in demands on time, or place. I hope all will be well with your friend who will miss Thanksgiving dinner with you this year (pang of sadness) and that you and yours will stay well. We have to keep on outwaiting this everlasting social-butterfly virus as best we can - and can I just say this pandemic has been unforgiving to all our waistlines -! I know I'm not getting enough exercise or rest ... waking up in wee hours and can't go back to sleep, so I get up to write or read and oddly I am less tired. I suppose it's because I love these activities. Happy Thanksgiving, Chris.
ReplyDeleteVery good. Well said. I share many of your feelings. We are in the de-clutter mode and that includes photos, many, many photos. Had it not been for the virus, we could have been safely together for T-Day. Our plan for T-Day is to heat up and eat our meals purchased from a local eatery tomorrow and time permitting paint the dining room. A T-Day to remember, no better forgotten. We, our families. have avoided the virus so far. I pray it stays that way. As for my photo de-clutter, I sort, I scan, I file and the level in the box doesn't seem to change..... Oh well. like I like to say - I am not bored. Again, a nice write up. Love Ya, Dad.
ReplyDelete