Recharging

~ wordancerblog

It’s the end of the school year.  My brain and body are drained.  I try to grasp at glimpses of light.  I want to wrap up my school work and find ways to restore my joy.  I’m not sure why this year was so difficult.  I don’t think it was my age.  I think it is the new normal after COVID.  We were all changed by the pandemic – students, parents, and teachers.  Anxiety remains.  Patience is at a premium.  Nerve are still raw.  Within this tense space, I feel the need to carve out time for myself this summer to recharge.  My energy is swiftly dwindling, and I’m trying to hold on to the little bit of reserve that I’ve been hiding inside myself.  I find I need that reserve to be able to wrap up the year, and to get ready for summer re-energizing.  I saw this butterfly mural in the town where I work, and I asked my friend, Molly, to take a picture of me with wings.  I thought this image would help to remind myself of the importance of self-care.  

Here are some ways I plan to recharge this summer:

I use nature to remind myself of what is important and how much I am a living breathing part of this Earth.  I make time to walk in the woods, visit gardens, sit by the sea, go to the park. Nature all these touch points with nature help me to rest and become newly inspired.

I summon my inner child and call upon my beginner’s mind.  I love to play and so I make time to have regular play dates with myself, my friends, and my family.  Some of my favorite games are chess, Wordle, and Spelling Bee.  I also engage in artful play.  I take time to make collages, paint, and do some doodling and journaling.

I seek out beauty.  I’ll plan field trips to visit formal and sculpture gardens, local museums, and arts & crafts fairs. I take photographs to chronicle all the beauty I see. I love collecting woodland and seaside objects.  I often use these objects to create artwork.

Summer is a time for me to breathe and listen.  I make sure I listen to uplifting music, informative podcasts, endless book selections, and meditation prompts. I also take long walks into natural places and focus on the sounds I hear – birdsongs, crashing waves, and the soothing sounds of a summer rainstorm.

This time off give me time to seek adventure.  My husband and I love to take road trips.  We travel as far north as Montreal and as far south as Miami.  We also leave some time to take a surprise trip.  Maybe this year, we will travel west.  Wherever we go, we take our cameras with us to document our journeys.

10 thoughts on “Recharging”

  1. I agree with ALL your ideas and I thank you for the reminders. I just love your wings, and how you will use that photo to remember self care. I wonder how others feel about the “new normal” since covid. It makes sense to me that anxiety remains, especially for teachers helping kids catch up academically, socially and emotionally in a strange world.

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  2. Thank you for this post. I am trying to hang on until the end of the school year too. Just reading your post brought me some peace as I dreamed of what I can do in a little over a week. I wish you the best summer of rejuvenation! Reading your post was self-care for me today.

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  3. So many great ideas to carry with you into summer! I usually spend some time thinking about my goals for the summer but somehow haven’t done much of that this year. I agree with so much of what you’ve written–all of it actually. I hope you get the recharge that you need and that your school year winds up uneventfully.

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  5. I think so many of us found the final push to the finish line more difficult than in previous years. I love all of your ways to recharge (as they are also the ways I enjoy!). I wish you the best and hope you find peace, rest, and beauty around you.

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  6. I love the ways you are recharging, and I especially love that nature is first. Immersive nature, ecotherapy, grounding – – all of these ways of releasing the tension and stress are clear paths to the enjoyment of the moment. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. Love it all! So cool that you wrote your thoughts as things you do. I heard it in my mind as beautiful reminders of truth rather than hopes!

    And, I just noticed you match the wings perfectly… You are the butterfly! 😁

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  10. Yes, self care is very important. Someone said many years ago while about the safety instructions given in aeroplanes just before take off. Please wear your mask in times of emergency before helping others. I think this applies at all times. All the best.

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