For those of you that have been following The Daily Grind for a while, you’ll probably already be aware of the predicament I’ve found myself in during this past year and a half. My fiancé, battling courageously against brain cancer for eighteen months, gained her wings and left us peacefully just three weeks ago.
As saddening as the news has been for us all, it was to be expected. Charlotte’s family and I are all finding our own means of adjusting to the blow. It’s one of these methods in particular that I’d like to share with you today. My favourite way to cope with hard times is actually quite simple. I focus on having fun.
Since losing Charlotte, I’ve been incredibly busy. My publication, Mind Cafe, is growing at record speed. Alongside that, though, I’ve been travelling around the country to stay with friends, enjoying time spent sightseeing, catching up and partying.
What I’ve realised in my recent endeavours is that I’ve really been neglecting the importance of having fun. Being a caregiver, though a loving and affectionate act in itself, is incredibly difficult. After eighteen months of that, going out, dancing with friends and making plans to interrail in the spring has made the world of difference.
See, when we’re feeling low, our instincts tell us to curl up into a ball and hide from the world. This is rarely a good idea.
Instead, it helps to muster up every fibre of courage you have to get up and go out. Go for a walk. Visit a friend. See a movie. Anything - anything but suffering in solitude.
Sometimes, a change of scenery is the very thing we need to pull us out of a rut, and having fun is usually the best antidote to pain.
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Despite my initial plans to push through the pain and continue with TDG, I needed some time off to convalesce and adjust to my new situation.
Since my publication partnered with Medium last week, things have been pretty hectic on the Mind Cafe front. Admittedly, I haven’t been taking the time to write content for you guys, but TDG is certainly something I’d like to start focusing on again.
If you’re still interested in reading my ramblings on a daily basis, let me know, and I’ll be sure to carry on.
- Adrian
Self-Care Saturday: It’s important to work hard, but it’s also important to look after ourselves. When we’re busy, our mental and physical health are usually the first things to fall to the bottom of our priority pile. For that reason, Self-Care Saturday is all about taking the time out indulge in a little self-love - about discovering new ways to take care of ourselves, even if that means we have to take a day off.