September 2021: Inputs
Running on empty? How can we ensure we are getting the inputs we need to optimise ourselves, balance our feelings and sustain living at our best?
Each morning
He tends flowers, fruit and leaves
Sits on a log sipping tea,
Plays Radio 3,
Reads Rumi (of course).
He tends the garden.
And the garden tends him.
(dys)regulation
Therapists talk about ‘dysregulation’; it carries a sense of being out of kilter, lacking inner balance and focus. In this state, moods swing, become dark, and we over / under react. As the body needs regular nutritious food, so our feelings need regular inputs.
September is a new academic year here in Oxford, new timetables are being penned.
Without regular input we slowly, but certainly, lose regulation. Inputs need a timetable too.
take 5
Here is a list of some of my inputs. Look slowly at each of these, asking, ‘what does this do for my emotional state’? Would any of these make your timetable of inputs? What would your list be?
Walking. Yoga. Reading. Tea. Running. Swimming. Journaling. Friends. Music. Sudoku. Sport. The New Scientist. Beer. Podcasts. Nature. Touch. Wild spaces. Cheese.
… and an experiment!
Design an input timetable! Be accountable - at your weekly meeting with your self (you do have one, right?!) Tick off what you did. Why are some inputs neglected? How does consciously ensuring you receive regular input affect you? Over time, how does conscious nurturing affect your sense of self-worth?
quotes…
We are our own potters; for our habits make us, and we make our habits ~ Frederick Langbridge
Taking care of yourself doesn't mean me first, it means me too ~ L R Knost
When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life ~ Jean Shinoda Bolen
ps
I am speaking at the National Postdoc Conference on 24th September. Say ‘hi’ if you are there!
It’s ‘Postdoc Appreciation Week’ - best wishes to all postdocs ;-)
Check out Antidote Resources - from podcasts to apps, these are useful leads. Do contribute what has been valuable for you!
If you’ve done Being for Beginners, please:
give 1 minute to the B4B impact study
rate B4B on Trustpilot
And here is where you can tell me what you think about Antidote Notes
I would like to take B4B further - let me know if your organisation might be interested.
Roddy xo