Making space

I am making space in my mind. There is so much that sneaks in and takes room. It helped realising that I am an introvert - either born as one or having lived primarily alone or with people who'll happily leave me alone since 2007 has gradually turned me into one.  

It was relief to read the following, and realising that feeling flustered because I hear people walking around the house (and might show up on my back) is just something that I do.

The whole article on Very Well Mind by Kendra Cherry was excellent. Including the categorisation of different types of introverts and the definition of a thinking introvert, that explains why I have to write this blog before I can make start work on urgent priorities. 

Thinking introverts: Introverts in this category tend to spend a lot of time thinking. They are introspective and creative.

And there are a lot of urgent priorities. I have just recovered from Covid and the more difficult isolation that accompanied it. And after taking so much time off work, I am now changing jobs, again. It is taking a lot of my energy to organise the transfer, and getting back (from the Covid hiatus) into the space where I start working again and delivering. 

Today, writing this up is already helping. 

I am also thinking about making space at home for creativity. For becoming a journalist/writer and an artist. I stumbled across Romy & Clara  https://www.romyandclare.com/ today and their work is inspiring. But that is for another time - a dream I am not willing to let go of yet.  

Another few surprising epiphanies happened recently:

The first one as I started running more regularly, and realised that those 30 minutes are a unique experience, and to be honest really hard to describe - it is the one time in my day where I get break from my mind being the most active part of me and analysing it too much might just completely wreck the experience. But one thing that surprised me is that somehow running has made me realised that 'I am doing my best, and my best is enough.' is the kindest, more effective thing I can tell myself when I am full of doubt.    

There was a recent research study that showed that being too harsh on yourself can lead to generalised anxiety disorder. Tell yourself that you are doing your best and your best is enough - because it is true, far more than all the horrible things you can tell yourself and leave yourself struggling to breathe. 

I also learnt that for me cardio is a critical part of staying happy, and if I don't do it, I miss it when my head hits the pillow at night and my mind turns into a hall of shadows.  

Finally, after feeling frustrated with my extended family in Melbourne, I came across an article that basically said if you let the world irritate you, then you are an irritated person. If you don't let the world irritate you, then you are a beam of sunshine, full of vibrance and delight. There is nothing in the world we can control, expect for our mind and there is one thing that we so easily relinquish control over is our mind.   

 On these happy notes, I leave you - hopefully kinder to yourself and full of vibrance and delight. Tell everyone on this train I love them.