Self Care and the Importance of it

Ok, I am sure in this day and age, you have seen on social media and other sites about self care. Whether you think that it affects you, or not, it really does. Not just those who are affected by illness have issues with self care, and the importance it has on life.

We can get busy in life, and there are factors that assist in making this worse. The four listed on the picture are the ones that should happen every day. Add in exercise for a good self care, but if you miss that occasionally, you will not die. These four on the picture are life threatening if you miss them…

Now I can see the look as you glance over the list. Missing a shower doesn’t seem life threatening, heck people do all of the time and survive. But I am talking about quality of life too. Let’s look at each point individually.

  1. Eating – well the human body is designed to do amazing things, but it needs fuel. If you don’t eat then you will find the muscles and your brain start to malfunction. You will not be able to move or think as well as before. We are only able to live for one week without eating… And the body and mind both start to suffer after one day without food.
  2. Hydration – we are mostly water. And as we move we use a portion of said fluid up. The human body can only go three days without drinking water… Mind you I said water. Sugary drinks such as cola will only add to dehydration, though they do taste good. As we dehydrate, our muscles cramp. Our mind clouds, making concentration harder. We get dizzy spells and start feeling light headed. (Though the last symptom is also true of lack of food.)
  3. Sleep – in today’s fast paced environment, we tend to tell ourselves that sleep is not necessary. The problem is that the brain is an organic computer. If you fail to allow your computer to have a break, well it will end up crashing because the memory does not clear of what has been done. The brain is much the same. Sleep deprivation can cause so many side effects. Google it, it is an interesting read.
  4. Showering – ok this one is not immediately lethal. There are diseases that are made worse by being unclean. This one is a lot more about making yourself feel better. A shower makes the body clean and often makes us feel a little bit more alive.

I would recommend that you also, preferably before the shower, at least go for a small walk. It helps to get the body working properly to do at least some exercise daily.

This is good for everyone, but those of us with illness (chronic or mental) sometimes find just doing the self care checklist hard. And that is OK, as long as you do what you can. Keep in mind that this isn’t just a thing so that we are able to be socially acceptable… It is something that can be life threatening. Please do take care of you.

*I wrote this a while back. I am not sure if I ever posted it here. This was a busy weekend and I felt the need to do some self care myself, so I decided to use it for my Monday post. I am hoping to post poetry later this week.

Book Birthday – Madness and Truth

Serena Mossgraves has a new book release today! A ghost story, an epic spanning two different narrators, and the story of an island over hundreds of years! Get your own copy today. Books2read.com/Madnessandtruth

Book Birthday – Madness and Truth

Wordless Wednesday

on an btw note…I am trying to do the Mermay drawing challenge. Check out my Instagram or my Deviant Art to see more.

Tuesday Tunes

A day for me to discuss music

Lyrics –
And I feel that time’s a-wasting, go
So where ya going to tomorrow?
And I see that these are lies to come
So would you even care?
And I feel it
And I feel it
Where ya going for tomorrow?
Where ya goin’ with the mask I found
And I feel, and I feel
When the dogs begin to smell her
Will she smell alone?
And I feel, so much depends on the weather
So is it raining in your bedroom?
And I see, that these are the eyes of disarray
Would you even care?
And I feel it
And she feels it
Where ya going for tomorrow?
Where ya goin’ with the mask I found?
And I feel, and I feel
When the dogs begin to smell her
Will she smell alone?
When the dogs do find her
Got time, time, to wait for tomorrow
To find it
To find it
To find it
When the dogs do find her
Got time, time, to wait for tomorrow
To find it
To find it
To find it
Where ya going for tomorrow?
Where ya goin’ with the mask I found?
And I feel, and I feel
When the dogs begin to smell her
Will she smell alone?
When the dogs do find her
Got time, time, to wait for tomorrow
To find it
To find it
To find it
When the dogs do find her
Got time, time, to wait for tomorrow
To find it
To find it
To find it
To find it
To find it
To find it

My 2 Cents –
This week has been crazy, on a personal level. I know that this song is about murder…but sometimes in order to become who we need to be, it feels like we kill parts of ourselves. I am struggling with decisions that may leave parts of me behind and I am not sure if it will allow me to continue my life as it is or if things will change. This song to me talks a lot of patience.

Monday Poetry – Sestina Form Lesson

A sestina is a fixed verse form consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, normally followed by a three-line envoi.(Envoi or envoy in poetry is used to describe: a short stanza at the end of a poem such as ballad, used either to address an imagined or actual person or to comment on the preceding body of the poem. a dedicatory poem about sending the book out to readers, a postscript.) So you do 6 stanzas each 6 lines…then a short 3 line stanza at the end.

The words that end each line of the first stanza are used as line endings in each of the following stanzas, rotated in a set pattern. The video above shows the basics. (Found on one of the you tubers I follow about writing.)

The picture below gives a quick look at the ending rotations.

I am hoping that this is going to help you to write poetry yourself.

Thursday Tea Party

Created by Patricia Harris in Canva

Well hello my lovelies. It has been a hot minute hasn’t it? I am drinking a touch of orangeade. I feel like the vitamin C can only help…What are you drinking?

Next week is going to be busy, for Fae Corps Inc and Serena Mossgraves. Faery Playground drops on May the first then Serena’s Madness and truth releases on the fifth. Both are very much worth the read.

Faery Playground is about faery children, but all of the stories are not fun and light. Actually the stories follow a range of dark and whimsical. One is straight out horror. The poetry and art seems to be lighter though.

Madness and Truth is a ghost story that follows an island through two stories. Two journals to be specific. From the view of Kiera Dunwillow, esteemed historian, to the view of a secretary for a ghost hunting group. The stories tell the history of the Isle of Truth, but do they add to the ghosts on the Island?

I have been working on illustrations for Afraid of Shoe Mountain, which I hope to release this year (date yet unknown.) Serena is back to writing, after putting Kingdoms of Sin on hiatus. She will return to it…one way or another it will be published. We are discussing whether it will be as a novel or as a Game book for running in a tabletop RPG. She is stuck.

I have struggled with the writing of poetry in April, as I have been overwhelmed with all of the other stuff that I had on my plate. I have been slowly lessening my stress…but I am still having responsibilities that are expected of me, and It is making it harder on me to catch up. However, I will get there, just be a little patient with me, I beg of you.

On a personal note, Today is My mommy’s birthday. Happy Birthday MOM!!!!

Quicksilver Poetry

Choice stolen,
It’s rarity increased.
Dreams broken,
So you hold tighter
To the ones that remain.

Virginity a concept
That your worth
Can be stolen away.
That you can be so much less
Because another touched you
Implies that you were less anyway.

Picking up the pieces,
Trying to heal,
Realizing that nothing
was removed,
That it is perhaps better
To put together me
My own way.

Tuesday Tunes

A day for me to discuss music

Lyrics

Will you make it sound so pretty even when it’s not?
Didn’t choose but it’s the only one we’ve got
And sometimes I get so tired
Of getting tied up in my thoughts
You’re the only one that often makes it stop
God, it hurts to be human
Without you I’d be losing
And someday we’ll face the music
God, it hurts to be human
But I’ve got you, you, you, you, you, you, hey
And you’ve got me, me, me, me, too
Like we’re buckled and preparing before the crash
Like we’re walking down a road of broken glass
Now if we defeat all odds
And it was us against the world
You can count on me
You know I’d have your back
God, it hurts to be human
Without you I’d be losing
And someday we’ll face the music
God, it hurts to be human
But I’ve got you, you, you, you, you, you (Hey)
And you’ve got me, me, me, me, too
But I’ve got you, you, you, you, you, you (Hey)
And you’ve got me, me, me, me, too
Hope flows away
If you could spend a day in my shoes
Your mind would change
If you’d known what I’ve gone through
We want the same (Yeah, we do)
Maybe then you’ll understand
How it hurts to be human
God, it hurts to be human
Without you (without you) I’d be losing (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
And someday we’ll face the music
God, it hurts to be human
But I’ve got you, you, you, you, you, you, hey
And you’ve got me, me, me, me, too
But I’ve got you, you, you, you, you, you, hey
And you’ve got me, me, me, me, too
Oh God, it hurts to be human

MY 2Cents
This song speaks to me right now. There is no reason why I have been dragging ass and miserable this week. The cold came back, the laptop died, I have responsibilities that I usually enjoy…But this week… I just couldn’t stand to be human. I was snapping at people over stupid shit. And I know it was stupid. I have no reason or explanation. Just cranky. And I can’t explain it better that this week felt that I was struggling in the fight to be happy…and I was loosing. So for those that have me, and wondered what the heck was my damage…I thank you. I love you all. Thank you for tolerating my bad week.

Monday Poetry