self care

This post doesn’t contain a recipe, but rather thoughts on some recent events happening in my life. If you’re a sucker for food photos, there’s still a few peppered throughout this post taken from my time in the kitchen today 🙂

“It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself…” -Charles Darwin

Humans have a tendency to always wish for change. We aren’t comfortable with our current situation. Maybe we want more money or a better job, or perhaps a different place to call home. But the truth is that we spend a good deal of our time daydreaming about change. And then when change arrives, whether in a form we wanted or not, we hightail it and run the other way. We scrunch our nose and aim to forget. But, just like the inevitability of the seasons, change will arrive without regard to convenience or inconvenience. It will shake you and rattle you. And despite how much you look the other way, it’s still there making the hairs on the back of your neck prickly. It’s like Micheal Myers. No matter how many times you think you’ve conquered it, the damn thing will always come back again, somehow, someway.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of change in my world. An appointment with a functional medicine doctor about my recurring skin issues turned into a skin cancer diagnosis and scheduled surgery for lymph node removal and biopsies. All in less than a month. There wasn’t much down time to wallow though I could have easily gone down that path several times. And though I did have fleeting moments of worry and anxiety, I mostly kept truckin’. I didn’t really see any other option than to accept and keep moving on.

I’ve actually surprised myself with how well I’ve handled all of this. Yes, I had moments of frustration and worry, but I didn’t let it knock me down. The very wise Pema Chodron says that the greatest learning opportunities arise in those feelings of discomfort but you can’t see them if you’re avoiding them. So I stayed. I learned (and am still learning). And I decided to keep moving forward. And adapt.

Though some of you may be fighting the exact same battle I am, I think it’s safe to say we are all faced with major shifts and changes. So, if that’s you or has ever been or ever will be you, here’s a little list of what has helped me to flourish rather than spiral out during this season of change:

+ connect with the earth — whether it’s to put your naked feet on the earth, pick some wildflowers, or enjoy a few breaths of fresh air, making a connecting with the earth helps to ground and center you. I also find it clears out stagnation in both body and mind.

+ journal — get your thoughts and feelings out on paper rather than corralling them all in your head. I’ve returned to this practice recently and have found it leaves me with more clarity and focus.

+ eat well — though it’s easy to stress eat and want all the comfort foods, try to feed your body with the good stuff, too. Leafy greens aren’t a bad place to start.

+ let emotions flow — if you need to cry or yell or scream, do it! Holding that shit back only ends up in eruptions of catastrophic proportions.

+ don’t be afraid to lean on support — whether you are a loner or someone that prides themselves on being independent, it’s okay to accept help and support from those around you. There’s no rule that says you have to deal with whatever you are faced with alone.

Much love to you if you are reading this right now. I’ll be sharing more posts like this in the future as I recover from surgery and embark on this new journey <3