Third time lucky…

I’m facing more surgery tomorrow.

The third now on my right foot.

The initial surgery was supposed to ‘fix’ the osteoarthritis pain in my foot & ankle.

But of course, I had to be different.

The second surgery was to try to help, but it didn’t really make any difference.

So this really is a case of third time lucky🤞🍀🐈‍⬛

Yep. I’m really tapping into to all those emojis!

If there was a touch wood 🪵 one I’d add that too…

Naturally I’ve been feeling a bit apprehensive this week in the build up to surgery.

I’ve been feeling that fight or flight mode within me.

A clear sign of stress.

While I can’t eliminate the thing that’s causing this stress, I can at least try to manage its impact.

So I’ve been tapping into my usual mindfulness practices to see what helps me the most.

Being in my sit space is always lovely, especially as it’s been a bit warmer this week.

Just sitting and noticing what I can see, hear and feel.

It’s very grounding, and I feel so much calmer when I do this.

Also, simple things, such as taking the time to do something I enjoy.

Sitting outside with a cuppa (my current afternoon favourite is Chai and Vanilla) and something good to read.

Especially when the sun dips behind the gum trees.

Blue sky with the sun just behind gum trees

Or puzzles which really help to focus my mind…

I enjoy timed Sudokus, and online quizes or Wordle where you only have six attempts to correctly identify today’s word…

As I mentioned last week soothing music can also be helpful.

Or being creative…

If Michael was home we could tackle some Lego, but there’s always journaling or colouring as alternatives.

I’m certainly no artist but a bit of colouring in can be fun.

coloured pens and pencils on a colouring in sheet

As I’ve written many times before, being in nature is a big help for me – and walking in nature mindfully, a no-brainer.

At the moment, and again I think it’s because it’s warmer this week, the birds have been particularly interesting.

We’ve had noisy miners in the Grevilleas, along with Rainbow Lorikeets, King Parrots and Pale-headed Rosellas.

We have a pair of Tawny Frogmouths who sleep all day (but keep a watchful eye on me) and do a fly-by the patio at dusk.

There’s a couple of Bronzewings who we usually hear calling to each other before we see them… and the patrolling Magpies.

One female Magpie in particular has taken a liking to me and now runs to me whenever I walk outside.

She then runs around following me everywhere.

I’d love to just give her a tummy rub, but that large beak is a bit daunting!

So this is where my focus has been most of the week…

Building up a toolkit of lots of little things you can try, can help you to manage stress on a day to day basis.

The key is to find something that works for you.

If your heart is racing, or you have tense muscles and/or find it hard to sleep – these are all key signs of stress.

While meditation and breathwork can help for some…

For others it can be too intense.

But just taking a few deep breaths in through your nose… and gently sighing it out through your mouth… can give you a sense of release.

Finding your thing is the way to go, and this can vary every time.

So, have I found my best stress busting favourite yet?

I think anything I can do outside where I can feel the sun on my face, look at the trees and watch and listen to the birds is my go-to.

Tomorrow I won’t be able to do this, so it’ll be a combination of puzzles, reading and taking time to pause… and mindfully follow my breath in… and out.

Fingers crossed… third time lucky!

Ann 🙏

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