Birds, Trees & Buttonholes
This is the time of the year when my favourite skirt won’t do up. Other, more forgiving elastic waistband ones are doable if you don’t mind a bit of squeezed middle, but the button on that special one reaches for the buttonhole… and misses.
It is an annual occurrence, this widening of the girth. Some people, when frantically busy, either burn their fuel ferociously or forget to eat. But my response to exhaustion - when what I really need is a glass of water and a nap - is to eat something. And because my work often comes with catering, there’s no shortage of delicious options for shoving in my gob.
It generally sorts itself out once the Silly Season calms down and, once more, buttonhole will meet button, but it is making me ponder better options for dealing with the stress.
Survey results reveal an increasing number of Kiwis are experiencing burnout - 61 per cent of us in 2024, up from 53 per cent in 2022. More of Gen Z are doing it tough, and most of us say employment and financial stress is a key factor.
So usual antidotes to feeling ground down - like a holiday somewhere tropical, or a new job - can be out of reach. In any case, I’ve always been a fan of finding ways to chill that don’t involve spending.
Regular readers will know that one of my go-tos for calming my mind is to tidy my sock drawer, or any other space I can exercise some control over. I have a friend whose spice and herb drawer is in perfect alphabetical order - sometimes when my brain is feeling a bit fizzy, I picture it.
But you can’t tidy a sock drawer or sort your spices when you’re at work or doing the shopping, so I’m finding free stuff to do that settles and soothes.
Easiest and best is remembering to breathe. It’s remarkable how this immediately changes your physiology. I like to start with two short breaths in and a long breath out - you can do it on the bus, or at your desk, or in the supermarket aisle and hardly anyone will notice.
They’re teaching it in workplace wellbeing workshops, naming it yoga breathing or - when the audience is mostly men - “tactical” breathing so it doesn’t sound too soft.
I’m also taking a moment to notice trees. Again, there is an almost instant calming effect from resting your eyes on green, and making yourself aware of the natural world which reminds us we are part of it, not separate from it.
I am also becoming a fan of making friends with trees - sitting under, leaning against, even having a chat. It gives me that same sense of perspective I get from being on the ocean - aware of something constant, that has been around much longer than me or any of the things I am worrying about today.
I also take chances to watch a bird soar and imagine it’s life, or watch a sleeping cat breathe and wonder what it’s dreaming.
If all that is too tree-huggy for you, I can also recommend my latest fetish - painting my nails ridiculous colours.
You might want to go to a professional, but I’m enjoying slapping on something cheap myself, and keeping the bottle handy to repair inevitable chips.
This, and a rummage in an op shop when I have a spare ten minutes can really lift my spirits. Especially if I find a fabulous skirt with a slightly bigger waist.