A Journey to Reprioritize and Live Life #barrioblues

This pandemic has affected all of us. It has brought an insurmountable amount of work and union stress into my life. It has increased new health challenges, including a long week and a half of a lung infection—prolonged because of medicine shortages. It has also triggered epic migraines that last for days. That headaches are now almost impossible to manage.

Through all of this, however, I have increased the number of friends and have a tight community of writers I can count on for support. I have also started seeing a counselor and taking anti-depressants. I have a fantastic life coach who is helping me manage burnout. Last but not least, I am working with the spiritual director I trust.  

All of these drastic changes have caused me to reflect on how to take care of myself or try to figure out how to take care of myself. What am I working so hard for? Why do I make such herculean efforts to serve others and not prioritize my family—my husband and children—to the max? Why don’t I ever prioritize myself?

That is on what I am focusing. Getting my priorities straight and not being such a damned workaholic. Family and I come first. At least, that's the plan.

I also have areas of study I want to dive into that will bring me life and intellectual fulfillment. I want to practice slow multitasking. There’s a cool Ted Talk "A Powerful Way to Increase Your Natural Creativity" by Tim Harford on it which really sparked my motivation. 

1. My novel, The Harvested or other novel
2. Cooking and learning the science and expertise of it
3. Child rearing especially post-COVID-19
4. Political Economy
5. New Theories on Feedback for Students
6. Radical Pedagogy
   
   

I am learning how to rest and am doing physical activity. I have also gone down quite a few pant sizes. I think I dropped weight because I have been so sick. I think the anti-depressants are lowering my appetite. I eat, but I am eating two meals a day or so. 

Anyway, if I it will be to focus on my writing and these priorities. I have always enjoyed doing internal work. The problem is that it hasn’t really stuck. Life is too short to be asking these questions at my age.

​I lost  friend suddenly, out of the blue. I don’t want to blink out having focused so much on overworking myself without purpose.