We did it you guys, we made it to the end of our first month of 2021!
This will be my first coffee catch up post of the new year, as a way to connect a bit with my readers and to reflect on my own thoughts and experiences from the last little while. As I have started a new job and am navigating every new aspect about it while continuing with some of my pediatric OT clients and my respite, my blog posts have slowed down and become a bit less consistent. But still, we write!
Last year was a wild ride, and I think that a lot of people were hoping that with a new year would come a new energy, less drama and way less pandemic. Sadly, we’re still deep in this pandemic, things are still shut down, and people are still either complying with precautions or very much not. I hope that wherever you are in the world, whatever your job is, your beliefs are and your family situation is, you are staying safe and healthy and being considerate of your fellow humans young and old!
If you have anything you want to share about your week, please feel free to leave it in the comments!
Here’s what happened in my life this past little while:
- I am now two months into my community based occupational therapy job working with physical-medicine adults and older adults, and one month into actually managing my own caseload. It has been a roller coaster and constant learning every single day, especially as my education was in a different city, none of my placements were remotely like this job, and my first job after graduating was with kids! Each day I am managing a bit better, my charting and reporting is faster, I’m better able to communicate with and advocate for my clients, and next week I have a near full time caseload for the week! Something I’ve learned also, is that I can do the absolute best I can, but sometimes families will decline your recommendations or services, sometimes communication with vendors or funding services takes way longer than you imagined, and sometimes even just a kind conversation makes a client feel that you have helped
- I’ve almost hit 400km on my 1610km (aka 1000 miles in 6 months) goal! I started this walking goal in November to help me keep walking through the winter time since I hate the cold but have NO motivation to move my body in my house. Without the energy of other determined people working out around me, I have a hard time making it through a full workout, so walking has kept me moving this year. I am not the person to have weightloss or fitness goals, but moving my body helps with my mental health so this big goal has been wonderful to keep me going.
- Learning how to manage my new job also has involved learning how to manage work life balance and how to set boundaries for myself. Because I am someone that likes to feel prepared and extremely knowledgable, the first week of having clients I spent every waking minute trying to figure things out – and obviously I was exhausted. Once I realized that it’s ok to keep learning (of course!), I have been a bit better with my boundaries. Something I find that helps me a lot is to have a solid plan for the evenings, even if that just means a television show that I have planned to watch that morning. My anxiety tends to make tv watching hard, so if I decide to sit in front of the tv with no plan, I often find myself thinking that I should just work instead. Thanks to one of my best friends, we have Crave TV now, so we’re diving back into Rupaul’s Drag Race with my roommate on evenings that everyone just wants to chill. It seems like a bit of a lackluster way to relax, but with a more solid plan, I’ve actually been able to calm my body and mind down so I have the energy and creativity to paint which is one of my favourite ways to relax! I’ve even started journalling more regularly and reading for fun (I know, wild concept coming from an occupational therapist but anxiety can make leisure activities hard!) What have your relaxation strategies been lately?
- Ok last one – our instant pot has been my absolute favourite thing since we got it in December for Christmas. And I am not about to start telling you about how my entire life has changed because of this device, or how it has helped us eat way healthier (because that’s dramatic), but my fiance made this INCREDIBLE drunken Irish beef stew the other day and I had to share. I don’t think I would ever be read as a food blogger because… I don’t know I cook quite simple meals? But this one I had to share!! I can’t wait to go home from work today and make chicken soup in the instant pot!
I’m not sure if anyone even reads these more personal and less educational or researched posts, but I enjoy writing them so hopefully it can bring some joy, insight or sense of connection to someone! Please comment below if you DO read through! And thank you xo
Let’s end with another cute video! This one is a tik tok that I found and this lady has a very sweet message. I feel like in the last year I have been forced to learn that it’s ok not to be busy all the time, to realize you need a break, to take time to slow down. This lovely lady’s message talks about when you’re not feeling up to doing big things and to accept that it is ok! Her message stuck with me strongly this week. I have added the tik tok link, but in case you can’t access it there, I have also shared it to my instagram and embeded that below. So please enjoy this video and have a wonderful week! And as always, if you have a favourite feel good video, please share!
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeesuxNE/
Be Your Own Sunshine 
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