Wrinkles and White Hairs

I’ve had wrinkles around my mouth and my eyes for a few years already. I like to call them my smile lines.

I also have a line between my brows that I’ve had for a really long time. I call that one my worry line. I’m guessing it started showing in my early teens.

Last year I discovered my first white hair. We gingers usually go white instead of grey, and now it’s my turn to get the same change as Gandalf!

I told my grandmother on my dad’s side about my discovery last year, and she (who’s also a ginger) told me that by the time she turned 35, she had quite a lot of white hairs.

So what do I think about my signs of aging?

I’m all here for it! In a world where people spend a crazy amount of time and money trying to look younger than they are, so many have forgotten about what a privilege it is to be allowed to get older.

There are so many out there who aren’t that lucky.  

Every day young people are robbed from the opportunity of growing older. Some by accidents, some by illness, some by cruelty, and some by their own hands. We tend to forget the fact that every second that we live and breathe here on this planet, is nothing short of a bloody miracle!

I know that we all have hard days. Tough days where words like privilege, grateful and miracle don’t even come close to what we are really feeling. But even those days are days where we grow and are lucky to have the opportunity to learn from.

I see countless bloggers, YouTubers, and influencers who are trying to convince other women and men to get treatments for the signs of aging. I’m not here to try to do the same. I’m here to encourage you to see those signs as beauty and not flaws. What you choose to spend your time and money on is entirely up to you. Your body, your choice!

How lucky am I to have smiled so much throughout my life that the markings of them are permanently on my face for the world to see. What an interesting and eventful life I’ve had so far, and the worry line between my brows is one of the many proofs of the moments and hurdles that I’ve had to overcome.

I’m so blessed to be able to grow older and get white hair while I can watch my son becoming more and more of a little man. I’ve gotten to grow older with fantastic friends and wonderful family.

I still get to learn new things every day! How lucky I am! It’s enough to make my eyes water just to think about the fact that I’ve been so lucky to be able to live for as long as I have and experience the things that I’ve done. I can only hope that my journey will continue for many more years.

I think we all need to remind ourselves of this more often, myself included.

In a world where we are constantly bombarded with the message that we have to look like we never eat, we exercise all the time, while we live a fabulous life globetrotting the world and never aging a day, it’s hard to lose focus of what really matters, and just how lucky we often are.

Don’t let the media fool you into chasing an unrealistic beauty ideal or means to happiness. You are a freaking wonder; wrinkles, grey/white hairs, bumps and all! ❤️

Barely a Functioning Human Being

Usually, whenever Leander gets sick (which has been more often than usual over the last 6 months) I’ve gotten off the hook. Last week, I was not so lucky.

He came down with fevers and headaches first, and after a couple of days, it hit me just as hard. For days I barely felt like a functioning human being. I couldn’t read or write. I constantly fell asleep, and my temperature was dancing up and down to its completely own rhythm.

I got to watch quite a lot of Netflix in between the sleeping though, so I’m definitely a bit more caught up on the documentary side. Speaking of which, if you haven’t seen the “Fyre – The Greatest Party that Never Happened” or “The Keepers”, I highly recommend you do so!

But yes, so quite a bit of Netflix and a little bit of knitting, but other than that my mind felt like complete mush. I fell out of my writing routine (novel, blog posts, and journal), I tried to read but my brain just wasn’t able to pay attention, and I wasn’t able to film the videos I had planned on filming during the weekend.

Where am I going with this? Well, it’s not to complain about all the things I should have done but didn’t, it’s more to remind myself (and whoever needs it) that it’s okay. We’re only humans, and sometimes we will find ourselves to be barely functioning ones, for one reason or another, and that’s okay.

Sometimes the body needs to sort things out on its own, and there’s no need to put ourselves down or be angry for the things that we weren’t able to do because of that. The things will not be any more done because of it, and there’s a pretty good reason why it wasn’t done in the first place.

So just let it go, take the time, pick yourself up again, and keep going!

I can now say that I’ve started to feel like a functioning human being again, finally! I was even able to read a little bit today, which felt nice.

So I’m getting back to the land of the living, and I’m excited about it! I miss working creatively, and I miss being outside of this apartment!

Thank you body, for taking care of what needed to be taken care of. I love you and I’m so grateful for all that you do for me, even when it turns my brain to mush❤️

How I Take Care of Myself

I feel at my best mentally when I take the time to take care of my body as well as my mind. These two are very much connected, and I’ve always been able to tell a significant difference in how I feel mentally when I workout regularly and when I don’t.

My workout routines have come and gone a bit over the last year. I had a really good summer/fall last year, got my heart broken in November, fell out of it all (as one often do), got back on track again this spring, and then I’ve been a bit back and forth. I started to get back on track with the good routines again a few weeks before I went on my summer vacation, and while I’ve been away, I’ve slowly, but surely been finding my way back into a good routine when it comes to both what I do with my body and my mind, as well as what I put into my body.

A lot of people have the misconception about veganism as a form of lifestyle that just automatically makes you eat only healthy food. Yes, I eat a lot of greens, but there is plenty of unhealthy vegan food as well. Let’s just mention Orio’s and Ben & Jerry’s. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy those things, because I do, but in moderation.

So now that I’m getting into a good routine, what does that mean for me?

Yoga

I love yoga. Not just for the physical results it gives me, but for how it makes me feel. The focus on breathing and getting rid of the tension in the muscles is amazing. When I actively do yoga, I manage stress so much better. I take the time to check in with my body more often, and I’m a better listener whenever my body tries to tell me something.

You can do yoga pretty much anywhere and without any equipment. A mat is nice to have, but definitely not a must. You can easily use a towel or just soft grass.

And if you need a little bit of guidance, then I would recommend YouTube. When I need a little bit of a push and guidance back into yoga, I always turn to Yoga with Adrienne. She’s amazing, and I love how easy her guided yoga sessions are to keep up with.

Meditation

When it comes to coping with stress, meditation is also a great way to train oneself to handle it better. I usually do a meditation session in the morning before I get out of bed. It’s a great way to start the day and to set your focus for the day.

If you feel like you could use some guidance through your meditations, there are numerous videos on YouTube and apps for both Android and iPhone. One of my favorites is Headspace. Headspace is a great way to start getting into meditation, and you can choose the length of the session so it fits the time that you have available.

Click the Headspace logo if you want to find out more:

Run and walk

I’m finally getting back into running, which is something that I love to do when I just get into the routine of it. It’s such an amazing feeling to just turn the music on and run. I prefer to run in the forest. It’s easier on the body than running on asphalt, and I love being so close to nature.

Another great way to just stay active is to walk. I often choose to walk instead of using public transportation if I can. It’s a great walk to workout without even feeling like that’s what you’re doing. And with a good audiobook or some great music, it’s even better!

I use Audible for listening to audiobooks when I walk. If you want to try Audible, you can click the on the box below and you’ll get a 30-day free trial with 2 audiobooks of your own choosing included!

❈❈ If you buy via my affiliate links, I get a small commission ❈❈

 

Take Time Off

This is something that I’m not always really good at. I tend to get lost in all of my projects and I will work and work until I’m on the edge of getting burned out. After getting completely burned out a couple of times though, I’ve learned to listen to my body more, and I prioritize taking much needed time off. I disconnect from social media, I read, I spend time with people that I love and I devour art as a way to recharge. And sleep, don’t forget to sleep and get your rest! It’s so important for your body and your mind!

❤️

And the last, but maybe the most important things that I do to take care of myself is to LOVE, to practice GRATITUDE, and to LAUGH!

Don’t underestimate the power of the simple things in life💛

 

Just What I Needed!

My Friday so far has been exactly what I needed. I got off work at half past two and at the moment I walked out the doors from work, my body felt drained and my brain fried. I couldn’t drag my ass home fast enough.

As soon as I got inside I put on my comfy pants. I made some delicious coffee and some food, put on a sappy movie (The Holiday… Don’t laugh!) and I just relaxed completely. Let my mind drift and enjoyed the movie and the quiet around me. There’s been so much going on lately (as you may have noticed) and my brain doesn’t really have an off switch. So for me to finally have some peace and quiet, without much planed at all for an entire weekend feels bloody fantastic.

I’m going to write, be lazy, meditate and just do whatever I feel like doing. This is just what I needed! I have now slumped down on my couch, made myself a cup of tea and I’m watching Eat, Pray, Love (a movie that always makes me smile) and I intend to stay here for the rest of the night.

I want to send a special thank you to teapigs Norway for sending me a care package with lots of tea 💛 Right now I’m enjoying a cup of Chamomile tea. Perfect for my relaxed Friday night!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful Friday!