Thursday, 28 January 2021
Today is #BellLetsTalk day. For every tweet, retweet with that hashtag, Bell will donate 5 cents. For every video of theirs you watch, 5 cents and so on. It’s a great initiative. Not only raising money for mental health resources but for raising awareness, for removing the stigma, for making it ok to not be ok.
This past week has been difficult for me. I’ve noticed a change in myself, a shift. Mid-winter is usually tough but I would plan a night away, a fun trip by myself. Something to break the monotony of cold winter days and nights.
But that’s not possible this year. Covid pandemic, lockdowns, curfews, add a full moon to the equation, hundreds of stories about mental health and I have reached my point. I tried exercise, meditation, a hot bath…self care, but anxiety built over the week until I had enough today.
I’m taking a few days away from work, a few days to focus on the things that bring me the most pleasure… connecting with my family online, playing, working on things I enjoy…
I’m grateful to have a boss who is so open, flexible and supportive. I’m grateful to a department that takes mental health seriously and is supportive. I’m grateful for the training I received that taught me to not only recognize the signs but to take action. I’m grateful to #BellLetsTalk for raising awareness so it’s ok for me to not be ok.
This Covid pandemic sucks. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon so I’ve got to find a way to work with it, to thrive in it and if that means taking a few days off every now and then, so be it.
In the meantime, backyard birding brings me joy and I want to share that joy with you.
Creativity is the calling of the soul 