It's been a rough couple of weeks here in the Roome house. Well, just in my office, really. Or in my head? Something along those lines, anyway.
To start with, wildfire season is here, and there are already several fires burning near me. Thankfully, none are close enough that we're in danger, but they're still close enough that the sky is orange and the air quality index is terrible. The amount of smoke in the air is insane. Both of my kids have had outdoor school events cancelled, and we're all limiting time outdoors. There's no escaping it, though. I've had a headache verging on a migraine for weeks due to the smoke. Still, if a headache is the worst of it, I consider myself very lucky.
Next, my creativity seems to be on vacation. I'm in that place in my writing where I stare at a blank screen and try to imagine any of my ideas going anywhere. To help me get over this slump, I'm reading or rereading some of my writing craft books and taking in the advice of other writers. Something will kick my butt back into gear.
Last, and maybe most importantly, the state of the world has me swamped with depression. Reading about all the moronic things that man is doing, and how so many people in the world seem intent on rushing us into a Gilead-esque hellscape, hurts my heart. But I can't bury my head in the sand. My province's premier is destroying our healthcare system, our education system, and trying to turn us into another state instead of the proud province of Canada we are. The American president is like a toddler screaming, crying, and smashing his toys because he doesn't want anyone else to play with them. It's like he's getting even for losing the last election. Or he's trying to get out of doing the job he's been elected for (even though I believe that election was rigged and Kamala Harris actually won), by doing it as poorly as possible. It's weaponized incompetence on a presidential, national, and global scale. In the midst of all that, it's hard to get motivated to write my little love stories.
Self-care these last few weeks has consisted of taking naps, drinking Coke zero with ice, and eating the most delicious sorbetto from Righteous Gelato (seriously, it's so good). It's not a vacation, but it's stilly pretty good.
What do you do for self-care when things get to be too much?
