I tell myself that I had a bad night’s sleep when I wake up a few times in the night. I think of a “good sleep” as going to bed and not waking until morning. When I tell myself I didn’t sleep well, I start my day feeling deprived, and depleted. I wonder if I’ll… Continue reading Sleeping Well
Category: Mental Health
Procrastination Lives On
I really thought that being retired would enable me to do all those things that I was procrastinating about. I’d finally have the time to book those appointments, clean out the spare room and organize the kitchen pantry. Not so. Working full-time was a convenient excuse not to do those things. Now my excuse is… Continue reading Procrastination Lives On
Goodbye Great Expectations
I didn’t realize how much I was carrying when I was working full-time. All the expectations of my job and those of the pandemic were heaped upon me for three years. In an instant, I retired and the work email vanished and so did all the constant contact with my class (on Google Classroom), and… Continue reading Goodbye Great Expectations
Allowing Your Wisdom To Work
We’ve all experienced that frustrating situation. We’re trying to remember a name or a word and it remains just out of reach in our mind. We know we know it but we just can’t access it.* Lately, it’s been solutions to problems that have been sitting just out of reach in my mind. The harder… Continue reading Allowing Your Wisdom To Work
Difficult Emotions And Toxic Positivity
I find it one of the hardest things to do, to just sit with uncomfortable emotions. I want to talk about them and fix them. I look for a way to make these feelings go away. I really need to work on sitting and observing them. Toxic Positivity. The belief that everything should be rosy… Continue reading Difficult Emotions And Toxic Positivity
I Named My Inner Critic
I gave my inner critical voice a name* and it’s made such a difference. I thought about her personality and what she would look like. For me, she’s an older nosy-neighbour type who always thinks she knows best. I chose a name for her that isn’t a name that I have encountered very often in… Continue reading I Named My Inner Critic
Good Enough
Be prepared to mess up. During lockdown I wanted to learn a new skill that would keep my hands and mind busy. Using good ole Youtube, I taught myself to crochet. I was making little bee toys to remind my students to bee kind to themselves as the world was turned upside down. I messed… Continue reading Good Enough
Being Kind To My Mind
Do I ruminate when I resist getting out of bed? I was listening to a well-known mental health personality the other day and she recommended the 5-4-3-2-1 countdown to get out yourself out of bed in the morning and prevent rumination. Being retired now, and having the time to think and write, I started to… Continue reading Being Kind To My Mind
I’m a happier sandwich
I’m a happier sandwich since I retired. I can support my family with something more important than money. I have time. The Sandwich Generation (ages 45 -64) provides the majority of care to older adults and it can range from 5 -30 hours per week*. Now that I’m retired, I have the time to care… Continue reading I’m a happier sandwich
Goals Make Me Happy
When I was working, my goals were aligned with what I wanted to achieve for my students and in my teaching practice. They gave my days purpose and direction. As a retired person, I find that I need to set goals to give me a sense of purpose. Now, my goals are purely personal and… Continue reading Goals Make Me Happy
Retired, And Now What? 