Self Care 6/11

[cam]

How are things going?

Challenge: 5+ minutes per day.

[cam]

It was an up and down week. I did get a small amount of time with my sewing machine. LO has designed a gadget that I have been helping him make. My H and I spent some time working on a project together when he was actually home. I also got a lot of tasks done of the easy-to-put-off type (i.e. cleaning the gutters, etc), so I am feeling very accomplished, which makes me happy.

My parents might come by for a short visit this week. I'm also thinking of canceling plans we had for Father's Day so we can just be at home since my H has been away more than usual, which will continue to be the case for the next few weeks at minimum. I have a lengthy to-do list, so we'll see how much self care happens beyond that.

[mightymaude]

I am still decompressing from the school year, which ended on Friday. Now I am stuck at home with my kiddos, and it actually does feel like I am stuck. They finally have friends in the neighborhood, so they disappear to play most days, but that also means I never get to go anywhere. I kind of miss our summers where I dragged them around to various playgrounds and we'd meet preschool friends there for a picnic--and I would get to chat with adults.

So I am reading, exercising, cleaning the house, and weeding the garden, but feel like I need a hobby. Any suggestions?

[cam]

mightymaude, what types of interests do you have? While reading and gardening are considered hobbies to some, it sounds like you are needing to get something else out of a hobby, so knowing what you need from a hobby may help you find a good fit for you. For example, I need a creative outlet, so some of my hobbies are sewing, building stuff, painting, etc.

[mightymaude]

Jun 18, 2018 8:55:01 GMT -5 cam said:

mightymaude, what types of interests do you have? While reading and gardening are considered hobbies to some, it sounds like you are needing to get something else out of a hobby, so knowing what you need from a hobby may help you find a good fit for you. For example, I need a creative outlet, so some of my hobbies are sewing, building stuff, painting, etc.

I have attempted knitting/crocheting and paper quilling in the past, because part of me enjoys the creation of objects, but I found the former too slow, and needed a better setting with more light for the latter. I am now listening to Radio Ambulante and following along with the transcript,to practice Spanish comprehension (I have 6 years of official language instruction, but still struggle with my level 1 ESOL students). I enjoy that mental exercise. I'd love to take up piano again, but we only have a small keyboard and there isn't enough room to play the songs I want to play. Maybe I should borrow one of my kids' recorders and learn to play that.

[waverly]

mightymaude, I am terrible at hobbies I feel like, so you are not alone. Many hobbies to me just feel like one more thing on my to do list/ aka chores. DH like puttering around the house and gardening, but those feel like chores to me. I've also tried knitting. I had some fun learning different braids on my hair (French, Dutch, Fishtail), but it's a lot to do them everyday type thing.

Even self care sometimes feels like chores, dying gray hair, painting nails. When I used to have a little fun doing them. I did spend one weekend and re-did a bunch of old furniture that the previous owners had left in the house, but it was just the one time.

My hobby is basically going to the pool in the summer which doesn't help you.