Tag: self-care

Thankful Thursday 7: Birthday Week

Welcome to the seventh instalment of my Thankful Thursday! This week’s theme is my birthday week. Sadly, I’m a day late again, but I’m vowing not to make it a trend! Next week’s Thankful Thursday will come out on Thursday.

This week I’m focusing on gratitude for my life in general and what turning 27 has meant to me.

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of May 25-May 31, 2018!

Things I am thankful for this week:

  • The awesome birthday I had on Wednesday
    • Work was a low-stress day, and I had my prep block (on day 1 I teach all 4 blocks, but on day 2 I teach 3)
    • I got my free Starbucks birthday drink (Triple Venti Caramel Macchiato)
    • Andrew and I went to dinner at Earl’s and watched the hockey and tennis
    • Then we went to see Deadpool 2 which was HILARIOUS

The title of this post, Birthday Week!

  • Every year on my birthday, I naturally get retrospective about the last year. Usually this leads to gratitude. My 20s have been incredibly eventful so far, and I have so much to be thankful for, this year especially!
    • I finished my Diploma in Guidance Studies, the first step to becoming a counsellor.
    • I got a full-time continuing contract with West Vancouver Schools, at the school I’m at this year. For all you NB’ers, this means a B contract. I’m here to stay!
    • I got accepted to my Master’s program of choice at UBC, School Counselling. This will be my fourth (and last!!!) university program. I’m very excited to start in September (and excited to finish May 2021).
    • I coached three rugby teams (girls’ age-grade club, high school girls, and girls’ PRCs).
    • I signed up for two more half marathons and ran one (the next is June 24th, and I’m rehabbing my butt off to be able to run it!).
    • Andrew and I got to spend a rejuvenating weekend in Whistler around our second wedding anniversary.
    • We also got to go to Calgary for Christmas and spend a week with family.
    • I travelled to Cuba with Mom for a week over Spring Break.
    • Both Andrew and I are feeling happier than ever and really excited about our life plans.
  • Life is pretty good, and on my 27th birthday I was and am feeling really grateful for my past 27 years of life. I’m working in a professional field that I love, and I get to write and be creative and read like a fiend in my spare time. I’m active and do community activities, and I hang out with friends virtually and in-person often. Mental health is a struggle as it always has been, but I’m really getting good at appreciating what I have. Here’s to my 28th year!

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

Related posts:

  1. Thankful Thursday 6: Organization
  2. Thankful Thursday 3: Slowing Down
  3. Thankful Thursday 1: An Introduction
  4. Thankful Thursday 5: Restoration

Thankful Thursday 6: Organization

Welcome to the sixth instalment of my Thankful Thursday! This week’s theme is organization, but ironically, this is the week that it went off the rails a little (considering today is actually Friday). I knew it would happen eventually. It also makes a lot of sense to me that the first time it would happen during a holiday week.

This week I’m focusing on gratitude for the organization I’m making happen in my life.

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of May 18-May 24, 2018!

Things I am thankful for this week:

  • All of the amazing food I’ve eaten this week
    • Drinks and appies at Uva with my best friend, and then pizza and a s’mores calzone at Firecrust!
      Drinks at Uva.
      The arancini we ate at Uva.
      My build-your-own pizza.

      The s’mores calzone!
    • Brunch (and dessert) (and coffee coffee coffee) at Craft Beer Market in False Creek (this is my husband and I’s favourite weekend spot).
      The beautiful view near our favourite brunch place in False Creek.

      It’s called “dessert in a jar.” It’s awesome. Banana, chocolate sauce, toffee, ice cream, brownie, and whipped cream. Two spoons, of course.
    • Free popcorn and pop (and nachos we paid for) at the advanced showing of Solo: A Star Wars Story that we got to see through Andrew’s work. I’m also grateful for getting to go see the movie early!
    • Coffee at Matchstick with another best friend!
    • A delicious Starbucks breakfast with Andrew on the holiday Monday
  •  I had a guest speaker in for most of the week in my Planning 10 classes, which meant that I got a bit of a break at work. Of course I was still in all of my classes, but I didn’t have to plan the lessons, which was really nice for a change.
  • As I mentioned above, we had a long weekend for Victoria Day, and I’m really thankful for that! Andrew now gets his holiday Mondays off, which is really nice because we get to spend time together.
  • In addition to the holiday Monday, Friday was a Professional Development Day (in BC we call them Pro-D), which meant that I got to go to work and get a lot of things done and organized. Speaking of which…

The title of this post, Organization!

  • There are two main reasons that I chose organization for this week’s gratitude theme. One is that because I had a guest speaker in many of my classes and a Pro-D on Friday, I had a lot of opportunities to get organized at work. The other is that I got a burst of inspiration over the long weekend for how to further organize our home.
  • I’m always grateful for the opportunity to do some organization for work. Teaching 7 different classes with only 1h20 to prep once every two days leads to a lot of organizational backlog sometimes. It’s hard to stay on top of things. The Pro-D day really helped. Most of the time we have organized activities on these days, but this time we just got time to work on new curriculum implementation, and I got a lot of things done. It felt great!
  • Also, now and then I start to go stir crazy in our apartment. So I’m really thankful for the spark of inspiration and motivation I got over the weekend to change things up a bit. We have a kind of useless space between where our kitchen and entryway are, and our living room. We’ve had a small dining table there for the last while, but we never eat at it – we tended to use it for food storage instead. It was really a wasted space. So I decided that it would be a great idea to do away with the table and  get a big shelving unit for that wall area instead. We decided on Sunday, and off we went to IKEA on the holiday Monday. I had the shelf together by Monday evening, and I’ve spent the rest of the week moving things around and organizing. It’s been great! Here’s the process:
    BEFORE: The awkward space in our apartment. At this point, I had already taken apart the dining table, but for reference, that square piece of glass was the top of it, and the table was in the left-hand corner.
    The shelf, put together!

    The shelf, mid organizing! This is about where we’re at right now. More to come later!

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

Related posts:

  1. Thankful Thursday 7: Birthday Week
  2. Thankful Thursday 1: An Introduction
  3. Thankful Thursday 8: Healing
  4. Thankful Thursday 14: Home(body)

Thankful Thursday 3: Slowing Down

Welcome to the third week of my Thankful Thursday, this time with a focus on slowing down.

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of April 27- May 3, 2018!

Things I am thankful for this week:

  • My hip is still pretty messed up but I went to chiro again and it was magical. This is the best chiropractor I have ever seen (and I’ve seen my fair share).
  • Also, I’m still able to run (albeit in pain) which means I’ll still be able to run Sunday’s race.
  • In the same vein… there are only three days until the BMO Vancouver Half-Marathon! I’m excited and nervous all at once. Five months of training and it’s nearly here!
  • I can feel the difference my new thyroid meds are making already. It could easily be placebo, but I’m sleeping less (more like 8 hours instead of 9) and still feeling rested. My mood is also higher and I’m more motivated and productive.
  • Dad and Sharon arrived safely in Vancouver and are staying really close to my place for two weeks! I’m so excited to have them cheer me on at my race.
  • We got a thank you card in the mail from friends we gave a gift to for their new baby.
  • My husband and I are quite possibly happier than we ever have been. We’ve always been happy, but things are just pretty swell right now, and we’re both taking notice. It’s awesome.
  • This 6am sunrise on my last training run before cutting things off to rest my hip:

Slowing Down

  • And the title of this post, slowing down! Because my hip and quad have been bothering me so much, I’ve cut some training runs out of my schedule and am spending a lot of time contrasting (ice and heat), and using my foam roller. It’s forcing me to slow down a bit and it feels nice, even though the injury itself is un-fun and stressful.
  • I’ve also been reading more. The catalyst for this was realizing that I had an Advanced Reader Copy of a book to read and review two days before the due date. So it forced me to spend a lot of Sunday and Monday reading. I managed to get the review published on time, which was great.

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this sunny week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

Related posts:

  1. Thankful Thursday 2: Sunny Vancouver Spring
  2. Thankful Thursday 7: Birthday Week
  3. Thankful Thursday 4: Motivation
  4. Thankful Thursday 10: Wrapping up

My 20 Favourite Podcasts of 2018

I’ve mentioned this before here on Lexical Abandon. Now I’m saying it again: I’m obsessed with podcasts.

What are Podcasts?

Podcasts are audio shows. They can be narrative, fiction, non-fiction, news, quiz shows, science, education, comedy… the list goes on. They’re like TV but only for your ears. Or radio shows that you can download for free and take anywhere. You can listen to them anytime, and you can save favourite episodes. You can use your phone’s dedicated Podcasts app, such as “Podcasts” on iPhones. Other options are third-party apps like Overcast, Audible, or Stitcher. Usually podcasts run in seasons, with a new episode being released either weekly or bi-weekly for a certain period. You can even set up your phone to auto-download new episodes, so you don’t have to go searching for new stuff or memorize when things come out.

Why do You Like Them so Much?

I started listening to podcasts around February of 2018, about 14 months ago. It quickly became an obsession that is only continuing to grow. Listening to podcasts is almost akin to meditation for me. I most often listen to them while driving, running, showering, doing chores, and playing mindless games on my phone. Listening to music is something I used to do while doing these activities. However, I love getting to give my brain some extra simulation. Podcasts have taught me and introduced me to so many things over the last year or so. I hate to waste time, so I love to feel like I’m doing two tasks at once.

It’s great to be able to listen to podcasts while also getting stuff done or while doing an activity like running or driving. Those are times when I can’t actually do anything else, so it’s awesome. I also find really inspiring. They really help me feel motivated to write, journal, be introspective, and work on my blogs.

So, What are Your Favourites?

So glad you asked. This is definitely not an exhaustive list, but I’ve narrowed down my top 20 podcasts. I also added a couple of honourable mentions for specific categories. Considering I now subscribe to 166 podcasts, this was no small feat.

In no particular order…

    • Homecoming, by Gimlet Media. Written by Eli Horowitz and starring Catherine Keener and David Schwimmer. This is a fictional narrative about a rehabilitation project run by the US Department of Defense.
    • Reply All, by Gimlet Media. Hosted by Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt. A podcast about all things weird and interesting on the Internet.
    • The Pitch, by Gimlet Media. Hosted by Josh Muccio. Startup founders pitch their companies to real investors.
    • Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me, by NPR. Hosted by Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis. A weekly, hilarious news quiz show.
    • Not by Accident, by Sophie & Astrid Harper. A non-fiction narrative about choosing to be a single mother.
    • Science VS, by Gimlet Media. Hosted by Wendy Zukerman. The podcast version of mythbusters, Science VS determines the validity of various topics.
    • Nancy, by WNYC Studios. Hosted by Tobin Low and Kathy Tu. A podcast about all things LGBTQ+.
    • Modern Love, a WBUR Podcast. Hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti. Public figures read essays published in New York Times “Modern Love” column, and Chakrabarti has conversations with the authors.
    • Conversations with People who Hate Me, a Night Vale Podcast. Hosted by Dylan Marron. Dylan has phone conversations with people who have said hateful things to him on the Internet.
    • Endless Thread, a podcast by WBUR and Reddit. Hosted by Ben Brock Johnson. It explores compelling Internet stories found on Reddit.

Phew, That’s 10! So here are 10 More…

  • Ear Hustle, a Radiotopia Podcast. Hosted by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods. A podcast about life inside the walls of San Quentin State Prison.
  • Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, hosted by Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile. The hosts discuss Harry Potter chapter by chapter as if it were a sacred text.
  • Vancouver is Awesome, by Glacier Media. Hosted by Bob Kronbauer and Lindsay William-Ross. An outlet of the Vancouver is Awesome website, the two hosts talk about all things Vancity.
  • Warm Regards, hosted by Eric Holthaus. Co-hosted by Jacquelyn Gill and Andy Revkin. A podcast talking about global warming.
  • WorkLife, a TED Podcast. Hosted by Adam Grant. The host is an organizational psychologist who is working to find out what makes work better.
  • Caught, an NPR podcast. Hosted by Kai Wright. A deep dive into children’s experiences with the juvenile justice system.
  • The Chasing Joy Podcast, hosted by Georgie Morley. Georgie interviews awesome people to get to the root of joy.
  • Sounds Good with Branden Harvey. Part of Branden’s “Good Good Good” company, Branden interviews all kinds of inspiring people creating positive change in the world.
  • Slightly Problematic, hosted by Bailey Carlin and Erica Esper. Two friends who talk about some “slightly problematic” topics in hilarious fashion.
  • Self-Care Sunday with Kayley Reed. A minimalist media project that comes out only on Sundays and interviews awesome people about self-care.

Honourable Mentions

These podcasts don’t necessarily make my top 20, but they’re really great. They also fit into categories that are pretty saturated. So I think it’s impressive that they’re favourites for me.

Best True-Crime Podcast: They Walk Among Us, by Benjamin and Rosie (last names not provided). This podcast tells stories of UK true-crime.

Best Limited-Episode Podcast: Unburnable: The People vs. Arctic Oil, a RadioWolfgang podcast. Narrated by Cormac McAuliffe (9 episodes). It covers a court case against the Norwegian government. The people want to stop drilling of new oil in the Arctic.

Best Historical Podcast: The Secret Life of Canada, hosted by Leah Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson. This podcast is fairly new. It features untold (and gruesome) stories of Canada’s colonial history.

See you in October!

I’ve decided I’ll do this every 6 months or so. I discover new podcasts all the time and love to share my obsession, because they’re so awesome!

Happy Listening!

Peace and love,

Bee

Related posts:

  1. Thankful Thursday 2: Sunny Vancouver Spring
  2. Thankful Thursday 1: An Introduction
  3. Exercise: Self-Care for Anxiety Strategy 2
  4. Lexical Abandon’s Life Lately

Thankful Thursday 2: Sunny Vancouver Spring

Last week I shared the things I’d been grateful for in the preceding week for the first time, in my original Thankful Thursday post. Welcome to the second week of my new habit, with a new dose of sunny gratitude!

This week’s post continues the segment, but it’s shorter now that the introductions are out of the way.

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Sunny week of April 20-26, 2018!

Things I am thankful for this week:

  • I have taken a lot of joy from the podcasts I’ve listened to (this week, mostly Modern Love and Nancy)
  • I crossed the distance threshold in the half-marathon training program and have started to taper – I ran 20km on Sunday and the longest I have to do now until the race is 10km

It Has Finally Been Really Sunny in Vancouver!!!

(This one deserved its own header)

Continuing the list…

  • I went to the chiropractor on Tuesday because my hip has been acting up and I feel MILES better now
  • My doctor called to follow-up about my thyroid results – this is HUGE. My levels are low and I need to increase my medication dosage. This means that my significant issues with depression and tiredness might not have been just SAD – they could have also been caused by my low thyroid! Post upcoming on this for sure.
  • My dad did mine and my husband’s taxes (having a parent who’s an accountant is a godsend – thanks Dad!!!) and I’m getting a huge refund (Thanks, university tuition credits!)
  • Andrew and I booked our flights to New Brunswick for this summer so we can visit friends and family
  • Found out that my dad and step-mom are coming to Vancouver for work and a visit really soon!

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this sunny week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

Related posts:

  1. Thankful Thursday 3: Slowing Down
  2. Thankful Thursday 20: Being Mindful
  3. Thankful Thursday 18: Coping
  4. Thankful Thursday 15: Movement