Self Sustainability

If you show up for yourself in your life, the universe will show up for you.

In talking with a friend I realized that I am the last one on my list which goes like family, friends, house, fun, creativity and me.  Why am I always last?  What would happen if I was first?

So I am trying being first on my list which then allows me to be more present with my friends and family....to have more energy to devote to the house...to be more centered to be creative...to be more immersed in my fun.  

I thought that if I put myself first then all these other aspects that are important to me would somehow have less of me.  I've always put myself last and I took whatever was left.  I'm not sure why or how it came about but I recognize it now that my friend who has always held space for me said it without judgment or accusation.  It just was the truth of my words in a way that I could not see them.

So as much as my friend sees me as being there for her, she, in turn, has always been there for me.

Since I have been working from home, I have been putting me first in practice, just maybe not in the space in my head that I see my importance.  I journal to hold space for myself.  My journal does not judge me but allows me to reread the words I've written which often changes their meaning for me.  My journal is my place to plan my day, my goals my hopes, my challenges and the things I don't want to forget.  It is also the place I am grateful, I record my successes, I celebrate my goals and I find pride in a day well-lived.

I am creating a sustainable routine.  This post has been full of buzz words and sustainable health is going to be another one.  I believe in a routine that creates an environment for yourself that nurtures and allows for future healthy growth.

Sustainable means to me:
If I get sick and miss some workouts and then I can get right back on track because a healthy body bounces back quickly.  
I know how to eat for my body and I can go out to eat without sabotaging my diet.  
I have a positive relationship with food.  
I am working towards making muscle and creating better mobility on a total body level.  
I get enough rest so that my body can recover and revitalize. 
I listen to my body/mind/spirit and have downtime to meditate, contemplate or journal.
I go easy on myself on rough days.  
I get back up after I am knocked down.
I smile and laugh as much as I can.
I have fun every day.
I do this for me. Not to be thin or a certain size, but to take care of myself.  This is my self-care routine.  This is what putting me first looks like.

Most of the things I am incorporating are things you have undoubtedly heard before here and there over the years.  

Disclaimer:  This is what worked for me.  These things made sense and were sustainable.  I can see myself using them forever and that was important to me.  They may not work for you.  You may not agree with them as needing to be on a sustainable list.  And that is okay.  Everyone has their own process.  If some of them ring true, then see if they work for you.  But again, this is what worked for me and some of the things that I found out when researching these points. 

Push water throughout the day.  The body is 60% water.  It needs hydration to function.  Headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue, cravings of sweets or salts, brain fog, impaired mood or brain function, digestive problems and allergies can all be symptoms of dehydration.  On hot days, I make it my priority to drink more water during the day to stave off dehydration.

Have a consistent sleep routine.  Sleep is when your body renews and repairs itself, it grows and heals and it allows all those muscles to rest that you use every day.  It is vital to good mental and physical health.  

Have a good breakfast.  After a night of your body resting, my bodily functions need nourishment.  This meal sets the pace of the whole day.  I focus on making it full of nutrient healthy food.

Try to slow down when you eat: meals are a celebration of bringing nature into your body to nourish, heal, energize and renew it.  Meals are not a race.  I enjoy food; I love to experience the texture and the flavors in each meal.  Chewing thoroughly before swallowing helps the entire digestion process.  

I also incorporate into my meal the act of thanks from the elements of nature that formed the food, to the people who grew it, to the people who packed and processed it to the prosperity that allowed me to buy it to the family that I eat it with.  This grace is an important part of my meal.  Having an "attitude of gratitude" is essential to my spiritual and mental wellbeing.

Follow the 85 /15 rule.  This means 85% of my food is whole and healthy and 15% is not.  This means I can have a snack or junk food if I really want it as long as the rest of the day I eat healthily.  I try and have one "treat" a day.  Some days it is really healthy and some days it is one scoop of Ben and Jerrys'.

Eat fruits and veggies.  Fruits and veggies have all those nutrients that my body needs to function and thrive.  Most of them are antioxidants in their own right.  Every member of the edible plant kingdom has some health benefit that contributes to your wellbeing.

Eat nuts (unless you are allergic).  Nuts are one of those superfood powerhouses that provide protein, fiber and good fats.  They also are filling and chock full of vitamins and minerals.  Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, pecans, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts,  hazelnuts and peanuts are the nuts that pack the most punch.

Move as much as you can.  When I was chained to my desk, moving was hard.  I would swivel and twist in my chair to give my core a workout.   I would hold my feet off the ground to engage my core.  I would do whatever I could to move a bit even though I was sitting for hours on end.  Belly circles are another thing I would do that no one could tell I was doing.  There was always something I could do.

Now that I'm not chained to my desk, it is relatively easy to get up every hour and do something.  I can do chores in between work and I've made time to work out.  But I understand, in this case, not everyone can do that.  

I know this can be hard.  It is always hard for me.  That is why I am going for a sustainable process.  I want to create changes that you can keep doing that allow you to reach your goals within the limits of your lifestyle.  Sometimes that can be as easy as parking farther away from the supermarket or setting a timer that gets you up every hour during the day.

Don't forget doing chores is moving.  On laundry days I am amazed by the number of steps I get.  There is a lot of movement in cooking or doing dishes.  Don't sell yourself short, those chores really add up to creating a healthy lifestyle.

My DH wanted to walk more.  The only way to do that was before work when he has the energy and drive and time.  So at 6 am we walk and catch Pokemon and talk.  It has become easier to get up and get going over time.  I really wanted to do it for him and then I realized that wow!  this is really great for me too.  I get so many steps and time with him and I am out in nature watching the world wake up.

I get that just going to the mailbox can be a walk.  I was there once and I remember that feeling of if I can just take those steps...if I can just do this one thing then maybe I could take more steps and create a healthy life for myself.  I have always had the support of my friends and family and that has been huge for me.

Do things that bring you joy.  I am always doing things that bring me the most joy.  Laughter is so healthy.  It lowers stress levels, strengthens your immune system, diminishes pain and boots your mood.  Just smiling can activate those healthy properties in your body.  

So this time, it is not about a number on a scale.  I'm not focused on that.  If I create a healthy lifestyle and diet then those numbers will reflect that.  I'm not worried about what I want to look like in the end because there is no end.  I am focused on feeling good in my own skin, feeling healthy in my own body and feeling happy in my process.  

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Week 2 of Tracking Back Basement challenge

I feel like I have reached a good pace with this goal.  I am moving and or cleaning things daily.  As you can see the stuff on the doorway table, and the table itself, has been moved.  Bins have been achieved and are starting to be filled with bagged yarn.

This week is all about moving the yarn on the left side of the room and cleaning the hanging drawers that the mouse lived in.  This is the part that I am afraid of...how much yarn has been destroyed?  

Fear and doubts are a big hurdle I always have to overcome.  So I made this little mantra that ties into my light cleansing mantra I say each day.

I release fear and doubt and transform them into wisdom and light.  I am the light.

I memorized this quite easily and have been chanting it throughout the day to quell those doubtful daemons that pull at my soul.  Each time I chant those words I feel a little more at peace with my inner self.  

Wisdom helps me to see that this week's task may be filled with uncertainty but it is also filled with discovery.  Why focus on the bad that could happen?  I very well may discover some amazing yarns that I forgot I had.  Really, that is quite likely.

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So, I feel at this point it might be important to talk about the hantavirus.  Certain mice can carry a virus that affects the pulmonary system in humans.  It is found in urine and mouse droppings which can disintegrate and become airborne when they are disturbed.  The virus can live in droppings and urine for up to a week at normal room temperatures found in the house, in direct sunlight the virus degrades at a faster rate.

It is a horrible illness.  Infection may occur up to six weeks before symptoms become apparent.  Initial flu-like symptoms from hantavirus infection can include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and stomach upset. Respiratory symptoms occur later and may progress to pneumonia that requires that patients be on a breathing tube in the intensive care unit, to secondary bacterial infections, and to multi-organ failure. 

I am pretty sure that my mouse visit happened in the spring and during that time I already disturbed everything when I freaked out, so if I was going to get infected it would have happened.  But, I am still using a mask, wearing gloves and not vacuuming just to be safe.  I am spraying the droppings with disinfectant and mopping them up after five minutes just to be cautious.  

This takes time, but I feel that it is important to dispose of the mouse waste products responsibly.

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Sorry, no knitting progress.  But I have found plenty of new yarn to play with!

Happy crafting,
Ruinwen

Tracking Back

In cooking, it is easy to track something back to its point of origin.  The cooking time and the prep time is all laid out for you.  You just have to follow the time backward from your serving time and voila, you have your starting time.

Anything can be treated with this trackback mentality.

If you know the time/end date of a chore or activity then you can trackback from that date and create steps for all the days that you have in between your starting date and your ending date.

It can be something simple as having prepared hot tea for a guest to redoing a room.

In my case preparing tea goes something like this:

• Heat the water
• Put out tea or tea bags
• Put out spoons
• Put out honey
• After the water is hot, steep tea for five minutes to allow flavors to deepen.
• After five minutes, strain or remove the tea bag
• Add honey
• Stir
• Serve

All in all, this process takes 15 minutes. I have it down to a science, or ritual if you will.  I try and imbue my tea with love, light, and happiness as well.

These kind of simple tasks are easy to trackback.

But what about the long-term projects?  They are harder to judge because unforeseen things can sometimes happen during long-term projects that make them go faster or slower.

So, I have a long-term project which I could never get the mental energy to tackle.  Mental energy is very different than having the physical energy to work on a project.  Mental energy involves emotions like; happiness, confidence, focus, willpower, motivation, and productivity. And those were things I was severely lacking or couldn't maintain for a long time.

Back in August 2013, I had a knitting room.  It was amazing and organized and I loved it so much.  The room just seemed to radiate with color.  

In October of 2015, it was flooded when the dishwasher repeatedly cycled water for four hours.  They had to rip out my new flooring and the kitchen got moved to the knitting room and in truth, I have never had the mental energy to clean it.

Then last year, a mouse made his/her residence for the winter in my knitting which was ruined so it added another mental layer of avoidance for me with this project.

After I quit my job, I gained some positive attributes to my mental arsenal.  Just having this time to rediscover myself and heal has changed me in ways I cannot even express.

So as of today, this is what my Knitting Room looks like.  Yeah, that is what I thought too.  :(

In the spirit of tracking back, I thought I would offer my Knitting Room up for an example.  This is going to be an emotional roller coaster for me.  Every project, every yarn has a story and a place in my heart.  I don't know what I will find.

And here we go.

My goal date is October 31st to have everything out of the room and sorted so a new floor can be put down. Every skein of yarn has to be checked and then bagged before going into a mouse-proof container.  There are shelving units, drawer units and closed box units full of yarn.  There are baskets and boxes full of yarn.  There is a lot of yarn in my knitting room.  I hope most of it is safe.

• My projects which the mouse shared a house with will need to be disinfected, washed and reblocked.  

• Everything in the mouse area has to be washed, disinfected and possibly destroyed.

• Tools also have to be sorted and or cleaned.

• My spinning wheel needs to be moved.

• Any trash needs to be cleaned up.  Any debris needs to be disposed of.

• Move kitchen items back to the kitchen.

• Wash blankets and pillows on my knitting chair.

Okay, it will be a lot of work but let's block it out and track it back.

There are eight full weeks and five extra days.

Week 1:

Wash / disinfect personal knitting.  Reblock any items that need blocking.

Clean off the little table in the doorway.  Wash / disinfect table cover.  

Move little table back up to Kitchen area or find a new home for it elsewhere in the house or move to the Garage.

Move yarn that is in the doorway to safebox.  Make sure everything is bagged.

So that will get me in the door.

Week 2:

Clean up the hanging storage areas where the mouse lived.  Disinfect them and store them in the Guest Room.  

Go through and clean / disinfect everything that the mouse touched.

Go through all the yarn and clean / disinfect everything that the mouse touched.  Move all the hanging storage areas on the left side of the room to the Guest Room.

Week 3:

Clean up stuff on the floor and relocate or get rid of.

Move all yarn and project-related material from the storage shelving on the left side of the room to the safe box.  Make sure everything is bagged.

Move storage shelving to the Guest Room.

Move any written notes of pattern creations and such to pattern hanging file after reviewing.

Week 4:

Focus on hanging shelving on the right side of the room.  Move / clean /disinfect all yarn.  Make sure everything is bagged.

Move all hanging shelving on the right side of the room to the Guest Room.

If the safe chest is full, get a second chest.

Week 5:

All the hanging shelving should be put away with the brackets and everything by now.  If not, finish removing the brackets and hardware.

Clean off the knitting chair.  Check for mice activity in the yarn.  Move / clean / disinfect all yarn.  Make sure everything is bagged.  Move to the safe chest.

Clean the chair itself and all the blankets on it should be washed.  Move the chair to the Guest Room.  It is getting quite cramped in there by now I suppose.

Start moving/cleaning / disinfecting surface of the tabletop.  Throw away any junk.  Relocate any items that don't belong in the Knitting Room.

Week 6:

Move all yarn and project-related material from the storage shelving on the right side of the room to the safe box.  Make sure everything is bagged.

Move storage shelving to the Guest Room.

At this point, everything should be off of the floor level.

Week 7:

Have them come in and do an estimate on the work to be done.  Ask if I have to take down the rest of the higher shelving.

In the meantime, go through all the higher boxes, which are sealed and should have been safe, for any holes.  Clean off the boxes.  Dust everything.  Clean everything.

Move any items that they request to be moved.

Week 8:

Knitting Room Floor is repaired.

Goal Achieved.  There is much rejoicing...

Going forward...

Since it took 8 weeks to get to this point.  Don't be disgusted with myself if it takes a few weeks to get everything back on shelving.

After the new floor is put in, slowly put everything back.  Reorganize.  Make sure everything is in bags and safe from possible future mice.

Move knitting that has been stored upstairs back down to the knitting room.

Whew.

So that is the plan which will go into effect this week.

I will take pictures and keep a record of where I am to be accountable to you all and myself.

Thanks for reading,

Happy crafting,

Ruinwen

:)

As of Wednesday morning, which is when I post my blog, I have already:

• Staged the Guest Room for storing everything
• Moved the yarn safe box down to the Guest Room
• Washed and disinfected my personal knitting
• Started moving some of the yarn that was not touched by the mouse and is already bagged to the safe box

Here is my personal knitting after disinfecting and drying.  Two of the lace projects felted even though I tried so hard not to felt them.  Otherwise, no colors bled and everything is still wearable.  So, yay!

You can still see the lace when you hold it up to the light so it wasn't totally destroyed.