Resting the Brain

Bloody hell it's hard. I have to do it, I have no choice and some times are easier than others. I shouldn't be blogging right now. I am supposed to rest my noggin and I have, a bit. There is a big difference between resting and resting the brain. Resting can include reading, watching a movie, chatting with friends. Resting the brain includes none of these. It means shutting down and not thinking too hard, not problem solving or taking in new information, zoning out if you will.

I worked on Tuesday, typing the medical reports and dealing with sometimes less than comprehensive dictation. It is three and half hours and it tires me. Tuesday night I drove to my photography course in town but I forgot my glasses. Poop!! Borrowed a magnifying glass, had a great time but the subject matter was hard and not being able to glance/read the notes easily or the menu/buttons on my camera was exhausting. Drove home in the dark. Driving by the way, takes a huge amount of concentration and so when the brain is tired it has quite a challenge ahead.

Yesterday I made myself not look at my homework. I made myself not use the computer. I was really tired.

It took me three days to recover from bingo last week. My brain is not flexible like it was pre-injury. It needs special care. It needs kindness. It needs patience. DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!!

When I am at home I have a morning tea routine. I make a 2 cup capacity pot of loose leaf chai tea. My favourite - Byron Chai. While it brews I eat two pieces of fruit and make myself sit down and relax. I sit on our veranda, away from electronics, books, papers and the need for housework glaring me in the face. I look at the view, I breathe the fresh air and work really hard at not planning what to do next. It takes me about one, sometimes one and a half cups of tea to get there. I talk to my lovebirds and make myself believe that their life is enriched by this one sided baby talk.

Sometimes in the afternoon I sit quietly and paint my fingernails and toenails. It still takes some concentration but it keeps me still and it is not rocket science.

Meditation is excellent when the need to rest the brain is required. I go through stages of meditating daily and not at all. All or nothing.

Housework is tiring. Why is that? It is not complicated. Toilet bowls are not confusing or problematic. Shower recesses are straight forward (but hateful). I delegate vacuuming to the teens because the noisy vacuum cleaner will finish me off. Maybe housework is not tiring, maybe it is psychological. Maybe I have this inbuilt aversion to the stuff and it fights with me to escape. Could be. Perhaps. Whatever. Housework is the enemy, it's official.