Pacing yourself

In the past when I was working as a teacher there was no chance of pacing myself. Everything seemed rushed and very hectic as I tried to get everything done that needed doing. There was no chance to sit back and think about the best way to do something. I see others now in similar situations. Things needed to be done ‘yesterday’ was the buzz word not today. Every person was rushing around trying to do things. Of course this can lead to burn out so be careful how you work.

Nowadays I am busy but my own boss as it were and can choose when and how to do things. But I still have to pace myself. My ‘illness’ flares up and then it is time to rest and recover not carry on as normal. If I do too much as I often find myself doing, then a flare up arrives to slow me down. It is easy to get carried away on projects when you have a lot of interest in what you are doing and the days get away from you quickly until your body says stop. I know I am not alone in this but there are many younger people who are not aware of how their bodies work and carry on until their last breath failing to understand that we are not here just to work but to enjoy the world around us.

We are here also to take time to appreciate that world especially the natural world and the insects and animals that live in it as well as the plants. There is so much out there and it is good for mental health to have time outdoors and relax. We also need to understand how the species are interconnected and that includes us too. Too many of one species can make a difference to how many there are of other species and so on. There seems to be a lack of general understanding of how we and other species work together and how important it is that we recognise this.

So why are we rushing around trying to do everything as quick as we can? Is what we are doing important to us or to someone else? Why are we not spreading out the workload so it gets done quicker and easier? Pacing yourself is important if you want to stay healthy and enjoy your life.

The natural world

I am continuing with the theme of nature, plants, birds and all life however small it may be. It never ceases to amaze me how many varieties of plants and insects that there are. I have an amazing flower called a horned poppy. It has beautiful yellow flowers which open and die on the same day. The seed pods of this plant are long thin pods up to 12 inches long. Then there are the ants in the garden. Someone told me to spray the blackfly on the foxgloves but I said the ants like the blackfly and so do the ladybirds. There is a place in nature for everything.

I think many of us are only just beginning to understand how important each species is and how they interconnect with each other. I have noticed that some councils are making bee trails in their parks by planting wildflower meadows some yards apart. This is a good start to helping our natural environment to survive.

One thing that really annoys me is the paving over of gardens because people cannot be bothered to cut grass and pull out weeds, When I have asked them about the need for paving those are the answers I get. But paving over your garden leaves nowhere for the rain to go.

Recent reading has been about 5G and I have read that many trees will have to be cut down as they affect the signal. Do we really need 5G? It is also a health hazard. Do we need HS2 as well? I don’t think so. Is it really important for faster trains so people can get to work a few minutes earlier? To have these faster trains, ancient woodland will be chopped down and nature reserves lost. The powers that be said that another place could be found for the nature reserve, which shows a complete lack of understanding of how nature works. We are supposed to be in a climate change emergency but those in charge do not seem to be able to join the dots and make sensible resolutions. They need to get together and talk about it all with the scientists and those who do understand how everything is connected. Enough of my moaning. The photo is of the horned poppy. I wonder if the point in the centre is what gives it its name.