Hello again! Thanks for joining me for the September lunch date! I know I’m a touch late on this, but better late than never. So let’s grab some treats and settle in.
Overwhelmed!
Somehow I keep thinking life will settle and I won’t feel so overwhelmed, but for this year, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. I feel like I’ve been telling myself to wait for things to settle in another month and another month and another month and before I know it, we are getting to the last quarter of the year! Thankfully, there are stress-relief tools to help.
So much continues to happen, both good and bad from purchasing the house to spending a ton of money on the house to dealing with illnesses and more. It’s interesting because before this year, I was living a pretty calm life. It wasn’t perfect by any means depending on what you consider perfect, but it was definitely calm. This year is wearing the theme of chaos and it’s wearing it well. The truth is, I just want calm again and I know I can have it. Everything is temporary, although the phrase is falling flat as I continue to say it month after month. However, it doesn’t make it less true.
Lately we’ve been dealing with illnesses, medical bills, increased hours at work, and more. However, as I said before, there’s bad and there’s good. I saved up to get myself a Nintendo Switch Lite and I can safely say it’s one of the best purchases. I love playing Hollow Knight on that little thing. If any of you are gamers, have you played Hollow Knight? What were your thoughts?
Borderlands 3 also came out this month and that’s what Jake and I have been focusing on more than anything else I think. You know, illnesses and stress at work aside. It’s a great way to escape and bond during all the ups and downs that keep coming. Any Borderlands fans out there?
I have to be careful not to talk about too many video games here. It’s a topic I could go on and on about, but I won’t! As you can see, I’m very excited about video games and lately, I’ve been relying on them as a way to take care of myself. It’s funny how little things can help remind you to take care of yourself. I consider video games a huge part of my self-care routine. I know some have suggested TV shows as a way to unwind, but I like my mind to be engaged a fairly significant amount so video games are perfect for me. Video-gaming for mental health – a wonderful therapy. That and reading. I can’t get enough of books!
Reading is Relaxing – Books I Read and Loved
Speaking of books! The two books that I loved reading in September were Beartown by Frederik Backman and Recursion by Blake Crouch.
I very much like Frederik Backman and I’m blown away by his prose with every one of his novels I pick up. Beartown was no different. It was an interesting read as the focus, and arguably the protagonist, was the small town of Beartown where hockey reigns. Backman has such interesting insight into human thoughts, motivation, and intentions. Mind you, this is quite a heavy read and I found it to be fairly emotional, but completely worth reading.
Recursion, on the other hand, is a science fiction psychological thriller. Normally these books aren’t my cup of tea, but this one was incredible. It was such a unique and interesting idea. I found myself enraptured from start to finish and finished this book in two or three days. Crouch takes you on such an amazing journey and by the end of it, you’re sort of questioning your current reality.
September Mantra: Expectations and Appreciations
Sooooo I did this mantra for maybe a few days. As soon as illnesses started to hit all thoughts of mantras went out the window. At this point, to help myself remain positive and grounded, I chose to focus on meditation and spirituality. There’s a part of me that’s considering scrapping the mantras. Before I started this blog, I actually used mantras quite often. However, I’ve certainly been struggling with it these last few months. I may take a break from mantras unless I can come up with a fun spooky one for October. Because you know. Halloween. Suggestions?
Challenges and Accomplishments
There have been quite a few challenges this month. For one, it has been a challenge to not freak out about money. The medical bills certainly pile up and, while I know that they will all be paid and that we’ll still have money in our savings, there’s something so gut-wrenching about taking money out of your savings. At least for me. So one of my bigger challenges has been to stay grounded and remind myself that this is temporary. Our savings will grow like it was before.
Another challenge I’ve been facing is to see family and friends. When I feel overwhelmed, I hide. Lately, I’m often emotionally exhausted and want to avoid people, which is a little silly because spending time with good friends and family can really help release some tension, help you be mindful, and help you remain grounded. So even though I feel the desire to just hide until I no longer feel overwhelmed, I still saw family and friends and enjoyed it! I felt a lot better afterward every time. It was a wonderful distraction and a great way to enjoy the present and positive.
At the beginning of September I was an emotional wreck from the stress of illnesses and medical bills, but I grew to become more grounded and more present. Even though I’m looking forward to the future when things get back on track, I can still enjoy the present moment. I struggled with remaining positive this month, but I stuck it through and I found reasons to stay positive. I’m really proud of myself for that!
Typically, when I’m having a bad month or months as the case may be, the first thing that I toss out the window is my health. Seeing as how I have many chronic illnesses, you can see how this approach is probably not the best thing. I absolutely did neglect my health and prioritize just about everything else instead. However, when I noticed my actions, I jumped back on track and tried to put my health as one of my top priorities. I still blunder and I still push myself too hard sometimes because I forget or grow tired of my limitations. But all in all, I think I’m doing a really good job making sure to prioritize my physical health as well as my mental health.
So tell me about September for you! Did you do anything for the end of the summer or for the beginning of fall? What challenges have you faced or what accomplishments are you proud of? Tell me all about it!