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10 cups

Today marks 10 years of writing every day. Winter, Summer, Spring, and the other season whose name i forget due to staring at my screen every day for 10 years (did I mention?) to get this work done. Some days its a joy: allowing my brain to roam free and touch the clouds above me and the world all around me and the words just flow out of me so fast that my fingers yelp at how hard they’re being pushed to catch up. And, other days it’s a drag: work and family and the world crush down and the very last thing that I want to do is write and maybe this will be the day that I stop and why am I doing this and I’ll be there in a bit I forgot to write.

And, yet, I cannot stop. Not that I’ve tried, but the few nights that I realize late toward midnight that I have somehow forgotten this work push me eversoslightly toward taking a day off.

And, yet, I cannot stop.

Sickness? Write about your symptoms! Pressure at work? Use me as a place to scream. Trouble at home? Tell me all about it.

For most of the last 10 years, it’s not been whether I want to write, it’s that I need to. Sometimes early, sometimes late. Sometimes with great imagination, sometimes just the mundane. Sometimes easily, sometimes with great difficulty (how the hell can the counter still be in the 200s?!?!).

It’s been a joy and it’s been lovely. And, even though this it no where near the end of my daily entries, this is the one that says, “I did it!”. Not the only one, by the way. The first year and the first 1,000,000 and multiples of each have been grand, but there is something about the decimal level that I – as a mathematician – cannot deny, even if I try with both hands.

So, thank you, 750 words, for having given me this opportunity and I’ll end here for today, but I will not end here.

10 cups

I have been writing on 750 words for roughly 4 to 5 years now. It has been an incredible experience, and I have gained a lot and struggled a lot as well. There have been years where I would barely write, but this year I vowed to become consistent with my writing once again.

At the beginning of the year, I decided that I would write every single day for one month no matter what. This has now extended into 83 days of writing, which is my longest streak so far.

I wanted to write this post to bring some positivity into the world, given everyone’s fears about Covid-19.

During this time where most of us are (hopefully) self-isolating, I realised there is plenty we can do with all this time on our hands to better ourselves, and come out of this experienced transformed and renewed.

Here are some things I’ve been doing to boost my mental health, physical health and general well-being:

1. Writing 750 words every mornings (obviously)
2. Increasing my meditation practice by meditating twice a day.
3. Keeping a gratitude journal (on 750 words)
4. Going for walks in nature by myself (washing my hands before and after leaving the house!).
5. Push-ups, Sit-ups, Squats and Pull-ups.
6. Reading books that I’ve wanted to read for a long time, usually 30-60 minutes a day.
7. Facetiming with friends who I haven’t spoken to for a while.

This list is not intended as a brag or to shame others who have inevitably felt anxiety, depression and other mental health issues regarding our current times.

Rather, I wanted to highlight that since so much has been stripped away, we have been left with only the essentials: our bodies and our minds.

If like me you are currently unable to work, perhaps you can use this time to heal, grow and better yourself.

And if that seems like a little too much right now, just spill out your worries, concerns and anything else that is on your mind on 750words :)

Stay healthy. Stay safe.

10 cups

I’m keeping my diary of self isolation here on 750 Words, as I suspect many of us are. The changes in the world can really shake things up, and they keep changing. I feel so luck to have this place to pour out my feelings, emotions, reactions, and observations as our country—and the world—face this crisis! Thank you to Buster and KelliAnne for giving us this space. <3