I went to bed early and got lots of sleep, but I still woke up feeling some of yesterday’s funk. The good news, I had my water aerobics class and knew that should really help. Sitting in the hot tub before and after was be icing on the cake. Then, I drove around, picking up mail and enjoying the scenery.  It was so nice out (PNW style) that I also worked outside later, organizing for the upcoming trip. Preparing to travel always enlivens my spirit.

And so it went! The exercise boosted me right back to normal. As I pulled out of the parking lot I was amazed at how great I felt. The errands were fun and then Tango and I walked along the waterfront, enjoying the spectacular scenery. As expected, clearing more stuff out of the van to lighten the load forced me to think about the next two months and everything I have planned (coastal Washington, 3 bluegrass festivals, flight to Alaska). That happy thinking pushed the unhappy thoughts out of my brain.

I was thinking that my efforts at self-care may seem odd to some people. After all, I only have myself and my dog to care for. You might be thinking, “what else does she have to do but take care of herself.” In a sense that is true. I do what I want pretty much all the time and my daily activities focus on caring for myself.

The kind of self-care I needed the last few days was different. It was due to an emotional Iow that was triggered by outside events and negative thinking. I could have easily just frumped around doing routine things, but that would not have improved my mood.  When I am emotionally down, I need to call on special self-care activities like a walk in the woods or a picnic on the beach. When I was working and had expendable income, I would also benefit from a pedi or a massage.

The other part of the self-care equation is stopping negative thinking. That is why the other activities, especially being outdoors, are so important. It gives us some new stimulation but also thinking patterns break in a beautiful and peaceful setting. It works for me every time!

Many people have pointed out the healing properties of nature, and I have written about if often. It has been a while, so I wanted to give another example of how getting outdoors helps me. Many events in my life would have swamped me had I not fled to the woods or the water. And, of course, road trips through beautiful lands have also kept me sane.

I remember a time when I was caring for my mom (2 summers ago). She was limited to her walker and was feeling quite down most days. Several times I packed up her wheelchair and we headed out. Once, I took her on a picnic at a nearby park. Another time we visited her favorite nature center. There, I rolled her onto the deck overlooking a pond. I left her there while I poked around. I glanced her way several times and could see that she was at peace. The power of nature to lift our spirits worked in her that day.

Being outdoors is inexpensive and easy to do. No appointments, insurance, or medications, Just find a park or walkway and get going!