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Keeping it Together | WISDOM AND TIPS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT US | Tuesday, September 21 | | |
 | | | How to keep your cool as fall begins | | Fall means pumpkin spice lattes and a lot of work and change. Here's how I'm trying to keep it cool as the weather gets cooler. By Kelly Lawler. | | |
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| Tomorrow marks the official first day of fall. And I'll be the first to admit I'm not ready. |
| Where did the time go? Despite the fact that so much happened this summer in the world and my personal life, and it feels like it's been a long time since June. The weather hasn't turned too cold here yet, but there are Pumpkin Spice Lattes aplenty, decorative gourds on front steps and Halloween candy in all the stores. |
| A change of seasons is like any other transition in our lives. It can be tough and stressful. It can mean more housework and professional work if your job is seasonal. Eventually the days will get shorter and we'll have to deal with more hours of darkness. |
| This fall, I'm reminding myself no matter how long my to-do list is (and it's extra long this year with a baby on the way) I should enjoy my favorite parts of the season. I love the cooler temperatures and fall activities like apple picking and hay rides. I love Halloween and Thanksgiving. I love walking through a park as the trees all start to turn golden, orange and red. |
| Even as things get hectic, I'm going to make an active effort to include time for myself. As I sort my fall and winter clothes and store away swimsuits and tank tops, I'll play my favorite new album. As we rake leaves in the backyard, I'll take pictures of our gorgeous Dogwood tree. And I'm not much of a PSL girl, but I'll definitely enjoy a hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick at some point. |
| What are your hopes and dreads about fall? Do you like the season or do you already miss summer? How are you managing back to school, chores and everything else that comes with autumn? Email us and we may publish your response in a future newsletter. |
How you guys are dealing with stress |
| First I want to say thank you to everyone who emailed in well wishes after my car was totaled! It's still stressful, but I appreciate every ounce of support. |
| Some of you also sent in how you deal with unexpected stressors, and I wanted to share your tips here. |
| From Sally Simpson: Sometimes unexpected stress is the best kind of stress to deal with. When you anticipate a stressor you worry unnecessarily in advance causing anxiety, lost sleep, etc. A good example of this would be, I was diagnosed with brain cancer unexpectedly in 2008. My daughter was 4. I was terrified. I had no choice but to take it in stride. I was a single mother who had a daughter relying on me. I couldn't let her down. I had several setbacks after that diagnosis, however I made the best of it and went back to school and began a career in healthcare. After 13 years of remission I was diagnosed again with brain cancer again. This time, I wasn't so blind sided. Although I knew at some point it would come back the shock was still real. This time after the craniotomy a year of chemo during the pandemic ensued. It all happened during my daughter's senior year of high school. It forced me to re-evaluate my life, my values, and beliefs. I had to quit my job and I lost my healthcare. It laid bare everything that I held dear. It put my pride on the line. Honestly, this past year has made me realize so many things about myself and others. I truly am grateful for having lived through it. I have rediscovered a new way of living. My daughter is off to her first year of college and I am now working a part time job that I like and will hopefully will be able to continue to do through cancer treatments in the future. I have found a new normal. I think it doesn't matter what the unexpected stressor is. It's how you deal with it that counts. |
| From J Macdonald: I like to always carry a good novel with me in case of car trouble or an accident, so I have something to do while waiting for a tow, the police etc. |
| Thank you all for your support and sharing your stories. I am so moved. And keep sending in your feedback to our email address here. |
 | | Stress is no joke. | | Getty Images | |
Today's reads |
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 | | Pfizer announced its COVID-19 vaccine is safe for ages 5-11, and now a review process begins. | | Getty | |
Today's pet |
| I just had to include all four photos of today's kitty, because they're just so cute. |
 | | Agave looks good in a party hat. And behind a plant. And in a tube. And during a snooze. | | Courtesy Alexandria Abrams | |
| Meet Agave, a 2-year old cat who knows how to take a good photo. "Checking to make sure I'm focused while working from home," in the first photo, according to owner Alexandria Abrams. The party hat picture is "Agave's birthday celebration, with White Claw of course." |
| Agave, you're invited to my next party. |
| That's all for this Tuesday. Thank you so much for reading. The newsletter will be back in your inboxes on Saturday. Until then, stay safe, stay well and send any pet photos and feedback to us here. |
| All my very best, |
| Kelly Lawler |
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