2021

I am not a fan of New Year resolutions for myself. However, 2020 being the year that it was (or will be by the time I post this... if I post it) the start of a new year begs for something. 

In my email today, I received the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)Newsletter. The theme of this month's newsletter "Building Back Stronger in 2021" has left me with some thoughts for the non-resolution something I believe I am looking for. 

1) "Acknowledging the good around you can put you in a better mood and is a positive way to start the New Year." 

• I'll start with acknowledging that I am grateful I took the MHFA course last December (2019). I didn't take it with COVID in mind but it sure was helpful in that regard and I imagine it will continue to be so. 
• I am also grateful for a job that was not eliminated or reduced in 2020. In fact, heading into 2021 my job description has been re-defined due to a merger. This move will mean more, and more challenging, work. The challenge will give me a renewed excitement for my 23 year career and divert my focus away from fear and anxiety that have plagued me for years and seem worse as I get older. It may add to them as well but "Acknowledging the good around you can put you in a better mood..." 
• I am also grateful to learn that I am CMV negative. I was informed of this at our blood donation today. Turns out Cytomegalovirus is a virus that affects most adults at some point in their lives. Most never know they had it. The antibodies stay in your body forever. The antibodies are harmless to adults but fatal to babies. Being one of only 15% of adults that are CMV negative means my blood can be safely given to babies and young children. I'm going to do my best to donate as often as possible this year. 

2) "It can also be helpful to create a self-care routine to take with you into 2021"

• About a week ago, I decided to make the commitment to Yoga With Adrienne's BREATH 30-day yoga challenge which starts tomorrow. This will serve as a start to a self-care routine. 
• I also would like to see a return to more hiking and walking in 2021. Both activities work wonders for me both physically and mentally.  

Happy New Year

Keep Smiling and Keep Moving

-Paula 

Perspective: Alter Egos and Self-Distancing

I enjoy getting my news from the BBC. The BBC's choices of, and perspectives on, US events is most often different than what I see in US news outlets. 

Perusing BBC.com/news also gives me the chance to see what else is going around the world. It's a chance to get outside of the world I live in. Try it, you might like it. 

In my experience and opinion, BBC.com/News also provides much more in the way of human interest or thought pieces. During my morning check-in today, I was prompted to read "The ‘Batman Effect’: How having an alter ego empowers you". It's a long, enjoyable read. Here is my short takeaway. I recommend reading the piece, though, as your mileage may vary. 

How many times have any of us been in a position to motivate or support someone else with our words? "YOU can do it", "YOU'VE got this", I believe in YOU". Sometimes our words (or actions) are more involved, but these pretty much sum up the efforts. Yet when it comes to motivating ourselves we get bogged down in the minutia or weighted down by sad or frustrated feelings. So much so, that we can't realize the advice we would give another having the same or similar type frustrations. 

It turns out, scientific studies have shown that when we speak to ourselves in the second or third person, we are better able to manage the stress and anxiety.

“Self-distancing gives us a little bit of extra space to think rationally about the situation,” says Rachel White, assistant professor of psychology at Hamilton College in New York State. "It allows us to rein in undesirable feelings like anxiety, increases our perseverance on challenging tasks, and boosts our self-control."

The Little-Engine-That-Could managed with the "I think I can" mantra. Self-distancing studies show that some of us will do well if we substitute "I" with "you" or "(fill in your name here)". Ok, the concept is more sound than the rhythm of that particular substitution. You get the idea, though, right? 

"Self-distancing seems to enable people to reap these positive effects by leading them to focus on the bigger picture – it’s possible to see events as part of a broader plan rather than getting bogged down in immediate feelings." 

I believe it works. 2020 has been a rough year an so many fronts. When I think of the times I've had to pull myself out of a downward spiral, I CAN relate it to the self-distancing phenomena. Getting out of my own head. It's often not as easy as that sounds. Still, it's worth the effort. 

So just as getting my news from BBC.com/news gives me different perspectives on the world, getting out of my own head emotionally provides a bigger picture that leads to alternatives I might not have considered otherwise. 

-Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula 

PS: For those worried that embracing the BBC will cause me to miss local Philadelphia news, know that the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, GRITTY, made the BBC newsfeed in 2018 😎 Plus I'll never give up Action News -- just for the sheer fun of it. 

The Origin of Keep Smiling Keep Moving.

 “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” first aired in 1970. Although trimmed down from its original runtime to allow for more advertising, 😞 it remains one of my favorite holiday shows.  Narrated by a singing and dancing mailman (Fred Astaire), the show tells the story of Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney) and some of Santa Claus’ traditions.

At 10, almost 11 years old, Kris Kringle’s origin story was fascinating, but it was Kris teaching the Winter Warlock (Keenan Wynne) to put one foot in front of the other that stuck with me. 

Right away, the song became my private theme song. I can still recall many times in my life singing it to myself when I needed a reminder that I could do or work through something. It is a song that just starts playing in my head when I need it. Some of those memories are quite vivid. 

So, although I went public with “Keep Smiling Keep Moving” when I started training for a marathon in 2008, the sentiment has been a cornerstone of my existence for much longer.

By the way, I do believe in Santa Claus, but I only recently learned (I think it was on Jeopardy!) that a Burgermeister is a real person! 

[Chorus]Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walking out the door

You never will get where you're going
If you never get up on your feet
Come on, there's a good tail wind blowing
A fast walking man is hard to beat

[Chorus]

If you want to change your direction
If your time of life is at hand
Well don't be the rule, be the exception
A good way to start is to stand

[Chorus]

If I want to change the reflection
I see in the mirror each morn
(Oh you do!)
You mean that it's just my election
(Just that!)
To vote for a chance to be reborn

[Chorus]

 Songwriters: Jules Bass / Maury Laws Put One Foot in Front of the Other lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

Thanksgiving Pandemic Version

 

Yesterday marked the annual Canadian Thanksgiving gathering for our family. 

Each year I am grateful for those in who are able to visit. As the family expands and the younger generation comes into their own, the gathering ebbs and flows with the rhythm of our lives. 

Ebbs, & flows and rhythms have been turned upside down and inside out in this Year of Covid. Out of an abundance of caution we cancelled the in-person gathering. At the last minute we decided to open a meeting in Zoom and invite everyone to drop in when they could. At one point we had 16 people and 1 baby on the call at the same time. 💖 

We met the Sweet Baby James (just 8 days old). He slept through it of course. Thank you to his parents for using up precious down time to hang out with us. 

This was James' first Zoom meeting. We learned that he was not the only one on their first zoom call. 

We met Wally, a beautiful black cat and new(ish) addition to our son's household. 

Our niece listened and chimed in while she turned over her garden for the fall. The rest of us safely tucked away on her phone in her pocket. 

Our nephew joined us as he played virtual Star Wars games. 

When my step mom joined the call she entered the room saying "I see ___ and ___ and ___....." which prompted a discussion about the Romper Room lady. 

Another niece joined us between work shifts as she folded her laundry and dismantled her bed in anticipation of a new one arriving later this week. 

We were treated to glimpses of the newest house in the family as my sister and her husband hung light fixtures and installed a fireplace screen. 

Yet another niece joined us while scrapbooking. 

Gathering via Zoom is, of course, quite different than meeting in person. For one, it's more obvious when someone heads for the bathroom! On the other hand, it's easier to head for the bathroom when each has their own. No waiting!! 😄

Keep Smiling and Keep Moving (even if it's from the comfy chair in your living room)
-Paula 

How to complete a 30 day Challenge in 79 days !!

There's an argument to be made, of course, that adding length to anything 2020 is just plain crazy. Let me explain. 

My fitness buddies and I have entered October with the a create-your-own challenge. Challenge ourselves for today, for the week, for the month. It's all up to us. I'm inspired by the variety of choices the group has made. 

I chose to do 30 days of yoga. I chose Yoga with Adrienne as my guide and started right on time on October 1st. A Thursday. Then the weekend came and I had a class to teach on Saturday (an enjoyable but physically and mentally draining task)  and preferred to go walking on Sunday. 

I modified my plan to do 30 days of yoga only on the weekdays (M-F). 

By the time I was ready for yoga on Monday, October 5th (after work) I had decided that I should repeat day 1 and day 2 and continue through Friday to day 5. I liked the idea of building the flow of the days one into the other.  Then I had some talking to myself to do: 

ME: Maybe I should keep going straight through to day 30. Even on the weekends. 
Still ME: But I like walking and hiking on the weekends
ME: I can do both in the same day you know
Still ME: I can but it's likely I won't. 
ME: .............

Then I tried day 3. Day 3 was hard. A lot of standing poses balancing on one foot at a time. I had to reach for the wall to stay upright much of the time. I got lost and had to catch up to the video. 

Still ME: What if I do every day twice. And only do them on Monday through Friday. 
ME: ????? 

Still ME: The first 2 days I did Day 1 and Day 2; (this week) Day 1,2,3,4,5; (next week) Day 3,4,5,6,7; (the next week) Day 6,7,8,9,10 etc.  

Now, I have to admit that Still ME was being affected by my perfectionist tendencies. But only slightly. Yes, I like to get things right. But I am learning to be kind to myself - especially when it comes to trying to get my old lady body to cooperate with my not-so-old-lady ideas of what I can/want to do. 

Perfectionist brain tends to go over the parts of each session where my balance was off or my muscles felt strained or my lower back caved in. When I repeat the day, I do so with an intention of finding ease or strength in those movements or moments. It doesn't have to be perfect and it will likely be better. With that thought in mind, I'm looking forward to Day 3 repeat on Monday 😎.

So then a spreadsheet had to happen. Another plus! LOL And it turns out that my scheme (see Still ME above) means my 30 days of Yoga will be complete on December 18th. 79 days after I started. 

Stay tuned! 

Keep Smiling Keep Moving (and Keep Thinking)
-Paula