A couple other people did this recently (Sarah, San, Sam, I swear there were more but now I can’t find them…) and I thought I’d give a try, as I continue to try to focus on the positives.
My car massager. I’ve had a version of this massager in my car for literally longer than I can remember. I use it every time I drive, usually on my lower back. I love it and it makes driving an almost pleasurable experience. Earlier this week I tweaked a muscled between my shoulder blades (my lat?) and it has been driving me crazy. In the car I’ve been able to get the massager to dig into it for long periods and it helped my healing time substantially. I would be in a lot more pain right now if it weren’t for my car massager.
My new glasses. I LOVE my new glasses. They are the best. I love how they look, I love how they feel, and I love how I see at work. I am SO GLAD I made an appointment in October, instead of waiting until December, to get my new prescription and to order new glasses. Best thing I did this fall.
Yogurt and granola. I’m a lazy MF in the kitchen and I sometimes eat a weird times. There have been many a night where a little bowl of yogurt (plain or vanilla) and some granola has sated my hunger AND scratched my just-a-little-something-sweet-please itch. I’ll also give a shout out here to TJ’s Pumpkin Spice Cold Coffee Concentrate and Vanilla Almond or Soy milk, which has been a lovely treat on weekend mornings.
Listening. Having something to listen to really helps me when I’m feeling overwhelmed or unmotivated. A good podcast or audiobook makes everything better: driving, washing dishes, folding laundry, checking off student work. As I already mentioned, I’m LOVING Truly, Madly, Deeply from Cursed Media. (I forgot to say that you can listen to the first episode for free on the QAA podcast!) If Books Could Kill put out a third and final Eric Adams episode on Patreon and Maintenance Phase just did a great episode on Raw Milk in their main feed. I just finished Nicholas Binge’s Ascension as an audiobook and REALLY loved it. It’s a very unique sci-fi story that was super captivating, with a really strange premise that was very executed incredibly well. I highly recommend. Before that I listened to La Anomolía (Hervé Le Tellier’s The Anomoly in Spanish (it was originally written in French) which I also really liked (thanks Jenny and Jj for the recommendations!) I just started listening to Jessica Grose’s Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood (I also got the physical book) which is a great compliment to the deep dive into trad wives. I’ve been two weeks away from Jen Hatmaker’s Awake for at least a week and am itching to start that. Jen Hatmaker makes a cameo in the Unicorn Girl podcast I loved so much a few weeks ago. (If anyone knows of a podcast like Unicorn Girl please let me know! I’d love a 6-8 part series on just about anything right now).
Getting SOMETHING done. I’ve struggled lately to stay focused, and motivated. One thing that’s helping me stay sane while I struggle is just getting something done, even if it’s not the thing I’m supposed to be doing. You don’t want to score those assessments? Then look through the photos on your phone for the calendar. You don’t want to vacuum the floors, then pull some garments from the closet that you don’t really wear anymore. Switching gears and accomplishing something has been really helping me manage my recent malaise.
PS I finally responded to all the comments from the last few days. Sorry that took so long!
Really like your new glasses!!!!!!! Very cool. Well selected and I am glad you are seeing better NOW.
Congratulations on getting things done. Good method. Simply taking an action and getting something accomplished.
Sounds like you are REALLY maximizing your car time with massage and audios; 3 things accomplished at same time. Impressed, you are smart as we all know.
I really do commute-max, as the kids would call it. XD I’m in the car a lot, so I guess it’s good I’m making such good use of that time.
The book that you got both in physical form and audio, did you like that? I have tried the combo a few times and LOVED it. I feel like I get more than by just absorbing it one way.
We have a very similar looking massager, I never thought of putting it in the car!
Does yours have the car lighter adapter ? If so, it can go in the car! And I highly recommend you trying it!
Beautiful glasses !
Kenneth
I second the “do something little” strategy, even if it’s not what you initially need to get done. I do it, too. Need to fold laundry, but I don’t want to fold laundry. Make outfits for the upcoming week instead. It just gives me a nice enough jolt to keep moving 🙂
I love all your audio recommendations–looking forward to checking out a few of them this week. The car massager sounds amazing! I really need new glasses, but we switched our vision insurance, and now I need to find a new optometrist, so I’ve been procrastinating. This is a good nudge!
I’m glad you are loving your glasses. Do you wear them all the time? I don’t like glasses, and so prefer my contact lenses- but right now, my contact lenses are being difficult and I have to use drops constantly or they’ll rip in my eyes. Ugh.
I’m the same way with get something done. I’ve gotten upset with myself when I’ve spent too much time on something and then I tell myself, it’s fine. That’s done, or You enjoyed it. I used to be better about washing towels in Thursdays, and washing the kitchen floor on Fridays, etc. Nowadays I try to be pleased with myself for accomplishing something, anything. (My house is really showing my lack of motivation there).
I wear my glasses all day at work, and around the house only when I’m doing work (grading papers) or reading. I don’t wear them out in the world much. They are occupational progressives so they are for being on the computer and far-distance sight isn’t great in them, but I honestly didn’t wear my old glasses (that were fine for far distance) that much out in the world either. I have astigmatism and dry eyes so contacts are hard for me to wear. I can get by without my glasses (my left eye is much worse than my right), but I
increasingly need them to read pretty much anything. So these new occupational progressives have been amazing at work.
Got it. I wear two different strengths in lenses, so I don’t need reading glasses. The readers were killing me, off and on and where did I put them. My SIL is a doctor and she thinks my eye issue (like I have to wear a heated mask in the morning before I put my contacts in) is because of autoimmune disease. I have celiac. I wonder if I’m too old for lasik surgery. I fear not being able to do contacts some day (soon?!).
Glad you have something that you find amazing to wear when you work.