This Slowed Down Life

 Every morning, I like to start my day with a cup or two of Fire Side Hot Toddy black tea, that I get from a local place near my home ( berteas.com ) . It's a perfect way to wake up, and it gently gives me energy to start the day's tasks. After that, I generally stick to water, my Stur electrolyte drink , or some decaf tea.  Well, most days. When I'm mindful and remember that.... Caffeine is my fair weather friend.  Having chronic fatigue, one would assume that caffeine is a cure-all for most people. Until it's almost 2 am, and I'm up writing a blog post, because... Caffeine is my fair weather friend. Oh she's sweet in the morning. But like a cat, if you give her too much attention, she will raise her fur at you and swat at your hand. Or keep you awake when you should be asleep.  I need to mention that I had this can of Sparkling Ice with Caffeine at 12:30 pm. I drank about half the can and finished it about 1:30pm (I'm a sipper). Most adults my age stop caf...

 I'm tired, and the thought of adding another chore to my regular chores kind of contradicts slowing down my life. Right? But here is why I'm doing this, and how it's helped me out so far. Remember, my bed making skills are not five-star hotel perfection. They are "ok, the blankets are straighter, and my pillows are where they should be" perfection.  (my husband and I have adjustable beds. So it's two twin xl mattresses pushed together. Reminds me of a 1950's sitcom, but the adjusting mattresses are nice!)  When I first wake up, I immediately do this, and I open my curtains. Why? Because I need a space to retreat to. If you live in a house with a family, kids, or even just one other person like a roommate or a significant other, sometimes, you just need to go somewhere to journal or process your thoughts. Or just to sit in the quiet and look out the window. Knowing that my room is now filled with daylight, and my bed is now comfy looking enough for me to s...

 Life doesn't stop or slow down, especially when we physically need to. Things still need to be done, and sometimes, that can be overwhelming. Something I am trying, is to make small, achievable goals for each day. This is how I do it:  I get my weekly planner out. Immediately I think of everything I want or need to do that week. I want to downsize my Google Photos (because I'm running out of space), so on that list is to go through a year of photos each week. I need to homeschool my son, so on that list is each individual subject for him. I need to make appointments and cancel appointments, and on the list that goes. I want to go to a library crafting event, so I add that on there. Sometimes, if I end of thinking of a lot of stuff I want to get done, I will add some stuff onto the next week. There are some journaling things I want to try, and some minor decluttering projects I want to do, and I know those will go on next week's schedule, so I have plenty of white space on ...

 Hello!! This is my first post in a (hopefully) encouraging blog about living life with chronic fatigue and pain. I'm Maria, I am 44 years old, and I struggle with chronic fatigue and pain. But that is not all of who I am. I am a wife, a mother, a sister, daughter, and friend...I am an avid reader, I am a digital farmer (by this I mean I play farming video games!), I love most things music and especially love acapella music...but I'm learning that I love the drums too. I love decluttering and tidying, and am trying my hand at some artsy stuff like watercolors and card-making.  I formerly was a library assistant, and I loved my job. Being around all of those books, helping people find their next book series, even dealing with some visibly sad patrons and helping them smile; I enjoyed helping people. My heart and my love for encouraging people hasn't diminished with my energy levels.  I'm learning that I may be a 'highly sensitive person', both emotionally and li...