Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice.
Good news for all the coffee drinkers out there! After years of being told coffee is bad for us, science is coming around to our way of thinking (which is pretty much: “No go til morning joe”).
I found several news stories highlighting the benefits of that delicious morning brew. (Keep in mind that the consistent exception is pregnant or nursing mothers. And in any case, you should consult your doctor with any concerns about this information.)
Here are a few excerpts with links to the full articles:
Review finds coffee linked to longer life and lower disease risk
“…when consumed in moderation (typically 3-5 cups per day), [coffee consumption] is safe and beneficial for most adults.” (Link to article)
Morning Coffee May Help You Live Longer, Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk
“…those who have a cup of joe in the morning have a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and lower overall mortality risk compared to those who drink coffee throughout the day or don’t drink it at all.” (Link to article)
9 Unique Benefits of Coffee
“Coffee does more than boost your energy. A few daily cups of coffee may also lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and depression, support weight management, and help you live a longer life.” (Link to article)
The Science-Backed Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee
“…caffeine increases energy availability and expenditure, decreases fatigue, enhances physical, motor, and cognitive performance, and increases the ability to solve problems.” (Link to article)
Today is Labor Day in the United States, one of the 11 federal holidays (12 when the year has an Inaugural Day), which for most people means: Don’t you dare do anything resembling work, unless it’s laboring over a grill in your backyard.
Labor Day was established as a federal holiday in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland in recognition of workers’ rights. Which I’m sure was a great idea at the time. However, it has since evolved into a recognition of the right not to work that day.
In the interest of accuracy, I’m thinking it really should be renamed Rest Day.
Which isn’t a bad idea. (Resting, I mean, not renaming the day.) Especially for all you creatives out there.
Let’s be honest. If you’re a contractor / freelancer, chances are you tend to have a mindset something like this:
I want to achieve … so I need to stay productive … which means I need to keep working … so I can be in constant motion … to achieve all I want to get done.
You know what the problem is with that mindset?
We’re not Energizer bunnies; we can’t keep going and going and going, even if we do have a cute little drum to beat on as we go merrily along.
Besides, perpetual motion doesn’t work with humans. That whole concept is hypothetical anyway, because a machine that can work indefinitely without an external energy source would violate the first and second law of thermodynamics. And I know that only because I have befriended Google.
Think about it: Even God rested from His labors on the seventh day. Trust me, you’re not going to one-up God. Don’t even try.
So let’s get real, creatives. If you want to keep going, you need to rest now and then – or better yet, on a regular basis.
Take a break before you break is what I’m saying.
Here are a few ideas for embracing the noble concept of rest:
Physical Rest
Get proper sleep, by which I mean: Turn the TV off and go to bed on time.
Fashion your bedroom into a total comfy zone. You can do this without expensive redecorating. Yes you can. Spray lavender (known for its relaxation properties) on the mattress and pillows when you change the sheets. I spray my pillows every day. The smell of it (let’s call it by its name: aromatherapy) helps me get into a deep sleep.
Do whatever you can to work in nap time during the day. Kindergarten teachers know what they’re doing: Naps are good for you. Plus, if your high energy is first thing in the morning, if you take a nap midday, you get two mornings out of one day. Win!
Mental/Sensory Rest
Unplug from sensory overload. Leave the TV off for a day (or several days). Ignore the news for a while (trust me, it’ll be there when you get back).
Write in a journal to get any negative thoughts out of your head. Or start a gratitude journal so you’re focusing on good things. Or both.
Try some relaxation exercises, like deep breathing, yoga, qi gong, or t’ai chi.
Take up a hobby that uses other parts of your brain (thereby giving the parts you’re pushing hard all the time a break), like jigsaw puzzles, painting, knitting, or needlework.
Emotional/Social Rest
Put deliberate boundaries around social media – i.e., no screen time at least an hour before bed and no peeking at Facebook if you wake up during the night.
Know your introvert or extrovert leanings – are you energized by being in a crowd or by pondering alone? – and adjust your expectations accordingly.
Be authentic in your relational contacts: Don’t be afraid to say no (it can be done gracefully), let your friends know if you’re in need, and put a moratorium on unhealthy relationships.
Creative/Spiritual Rest
As much as possible, set boundaries around work. (It’s ok to not be available 24/7.)
Connect with your spiritual nature – e.g., read an inspiring Bible passage every morning and meditate on it, join a church group, listen to inspiring music that reminds you that you are a child of God.
Fill your soul with nature. Take a walk through a park. Hike through mountain trails. Walk on the beach.
The benefits of rest are so much worth any cost of taking up any of these suggestions: a better immune system, improved mental health, and an increase in creativity. Worth a try, isn’t it?
A picture is worth 1,000 words, they say. Maybe they’re right. Let’s show ’em. Take one of these photos — or all of them, your choice — and make a story.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I took a hiatus for a while, during which time I wrote a book (among many other endeavors, some pretty awesome, some not so much).
Which means, sadly, that I missed the moment to do a blog launch for my book.
In upcoming posts, I’ll favor you with an excerpt or two as well as some insights on how and why I wrote it — but for today, here’s the intro so you can get a feel for what it’s about:
* * *
Introduction
Many books have been written about Charleston, a fact that should surprise no one. The Grand Dame of the South has been here for centuries and has many fascinating tales to tell.
The tales are so fascinating that, I do declare, doing the research for this book was the best rabbit hole I’ve ever been down.
There are books and articles that detail how Charleston endured the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, write-ups that dig into specific topics like architecture or piracy, and published pieces that offer insights into the people, places, and politics.
One doesn’t have to search long to find a wealth of information about Charleston: short histories, in-depth studies, surveys, compilations, the lighter side, the darker side, and a treatise on just about every aspect of the city.
This book delves into one specific aspect: Charleston’s pleasurable pastimes through the years. And there are many. There’s a reason Charleston keeps receiving accolades like being voted year after year as Best City to Visit, Friendliest City, Most Enjoyable Place to Visit, and so on.
The simple truth is that Charleston loves to entertain and to be entertained. She seeks out the beauty and joy and pleasure in her charming surroundings, and she invites others to enjoy them as well.
In her book, Prints and Impressions of Charleston, celebrated artist Elizabeth O’Neill Verner wrote that, “It is so difficult for a Charlestonian to write about Charleston without becoming either sentimental or austere.”
How right she was. At one point in my research, I realized that I could either wax eloquent on every instance of entertainment – and, because the city never stops seeking enjoyment, possibly never finish the book – or accept that it might not be possible to capture and catalogue every instance of amusement throughout the years. I went with the latter, and I hope you, gentle reader, will forgive any omissions.
This book was a great pleasure for me to research and to write. It is my fervent wish that you will find great pleasure in these pages.
Shelia Watson West of the Ashley Charleston, South Carolina
The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “Change is the only constant in life.”
Far be it from me to argue with an ancient Greek philosopher, but I’d put politicians talking out both sides of their mouths and getting spam email after you’ve signed up for something on the list of constants.
But to his point: Yes, change is a-happenin’ all the time. Heraclitus also had a paradoxical communication style and was totally into wordplay, so we’re giving him full credit.
Change is on my mind quite a bit lately. It seems that everywhere I turn, one thing or another is starting to be different, and it’s occurring in a way that makes me stop and take notice. Like the spider lilies in the photo. They’re in bloom now, but in a few weeks the flowers will fade. This is a prime example of change I don’t like. I like the flowers. I want to see them all the time.
I chalk it up mostly to some recent choices I’ve made – and some of this I talked about in last week’s post – because choices usually lead to changes (not always, though: choosing to keep doing what you’re doing is still a choice), and sometimes those changes are horribly jarring, and I have to stop and get my bearings.
Why I tend to react that way to change is a mystery. Change happens so much and so often, you’d think I’d roll right along with it by now.
How much has change happened to me? Let us count the ways:
Over the course of my life, I’ve changed everything from schools, jobs, and churches to my address, cars, and passwords.
I deal with it daily with things like changing my clothes, my mind, and what I thought we were having for dinner.
Change in my life has run the gamut from rearranging our TV viewing schedule to leaving behind people I thought were my friends to reallocating time to focus on new priorities.
And those are just some of the changes I’ve personally made. I have an entire history of changes that were thrust on me without any foreknowledge or express written consent (which is my preferred way of dealing with change).
And that brings us right up to this week, where we get to experience a changing of the seasons on Wednesday. That’s right, the summer solstice is upon us, and that means hot, sticky, humid weather and, because I live in “hurricane alley,” one eye on the tropics at all times.
This is no sudden, jarring change. I’ve had plenty of notice – written notice, even. It’s right there on the calendar. Spring is giving way to summer, which will morph into autumn, which will allow winter to take over, and then spring will come alive again, and so it goes, round and round.
I don’t like the seasons to change; I want it to be autumn all the time. And the only conclusion to that statement is how fortunate we are that I am not in charge of nature.
If nothing else, the changing of the seasons reminds us of the constant of change. Just like Heraclitus said. We can no more hold back spring moving into summer than we could expect that I’ll never buy another car. One day the days will get cooler and autumn will be here (finally!) and I will get a new phone and will have to learn all over again how to upload apps. The nip in the air will get bitter cold and I will meet new people and “friends” who were untrustworthy will fade from my memory. The temperatures will warm up and the freezes will thaw and my priorities shift just enough to clear my path and I’ll find a new wine bar where my friend and I can meet to talk about writing (another constant).
The seasons are marvelous teachers, with their singular lesson plan of Change Is Good. And Heraclitus was right: It is constant. Like the north star. The best we can do is fix our compass and ride it out.
Go Write Right Now 