Self Care Tips To Survive a Careless World

I've been going through a little bit of a rough time. It seems all sorts of stress has finally caught up with me in the last month for here I lie with the flu for the second time in weeks, which is getting a little bit depressing not to mention a bit freaked out (I am a bit of a worrier!) for I am generally the type of person who bounces back from a cold in less than a day: I eat better than average, get plenty of rest, and ride my bike at least five days a week. But I do take on stress, its true, and for the last year have not coped as healthfully as I know I could. I have sneaked more cigarettes than usual probably wreaking havoc on my body's defences, I have spent a bit more time zoning out on the computer than I have being mindful, and I have indulged more in gossip and bitching lately--all symptomatic of the cycle of stress and anxiety that feeds on such behaviours which are themselves fuelled by small (though always ballooning!) changes in life (and not just mine, I have a tendency to take on the weight of the world when I am in a susceptible state like the one I am in now). So I need to reboot and remember the healthy little things that keep me glowing and grounded and that force the bugs to stay away. To fight the blues of being sick and focus on the health, mental and physical, that I have taken for granted this last while I have compiled these tips for living mindfully that I look forward to indulging in each day from now on once I regain what truly is a gift. 

Things That Ground: 

-Cycle, walk, or swim each day--particularly on workdays to segue out of your public and into your private reality.

-Write (or express yourself the way you need to express yourself artistically) everyday. Or at least most days, especially when you are feeling out of touch with yourself in order to pay attention to your inner monologue so that you can be in touch with yourself again.

-Spend quality time with yourself as much as you can. If your social/work/family life is too crazy for you to be able to spend alone time each day, consider taking yourself out (or keeping yourself in!) once a week--or better yet take yourself out for a small holiday! Also, consider using your lunch break as "me" time. Go for a walk, go people watching, go write...

-Eat delicious, home made, and grounding foods at every meal and take the time to savour each bite. I'm good at doing the first part but tend not to often honour the beautiful meal I have prepared, which is in many ways worse than eating out for each meal because it means I am not recognizing my own creative capacity and implicit efforts to self care. Take the time (if you can) to cook a delectable simple meal (even if its just for yourself), to sit with it, and at lunch to heat your food if it is meant to be eaten warm and do not eat it out of a plastic container. I often forget to breath, especially while I am eating--that could potentially be deadly.

-Have a morning ritual and get up earlier to be able to enjoy every step. I feel much better if I can drink lemon water first thing in the morning, stretch, and then have a delicious breakfast. If I skip one step I feel off kilter for the rest of the day. I have been feeling like a train wreck lately and that is no coincidence.

-Spend time with animals!

-Spend time with your family--especially ageing family for they are our link to the past and feeling connected to history and to our loved ones is one of the most grounding things in this fragmented crazy world that tends to erase our collective memory with each new gigabyte of information we are given access to. If you aren't close to elders in your family, adopt some!

-Nurture your own memories. I have recently purchased some of the books I like best as a child and was amazed--and reassured to find how little I've actually changed and how many memories there are too uncover inside of me.

-Spend time with your friends--of all ages!

-But I feel at my best if I only have two social obligations each week. I am an introvert,  it might be different for you. The point is respect your threshold and learn to politely decline an invitation--quality is more important than quantity.

-If you are fortunate enough to have sick days where you work, use one occasionally for a mental health day (not when you are at your wits end and actually need a mental health day) and spend every moment of that day doing things that are enjoyable for you. Its fun playing hooky sometimes and actually helps to make you a more productive employee!

-If you are fortunate enough to have sick days and you are sick take the day off and be kind to yourself. Don't go to work (and make others ill) and do not feel guilty (guilt kills). Treat yourself like you would treat your own child. 

-Periodically think about, even better write down, all the things you are grateful for--big and small: today, I am grateful that medjool dates exist, that my boyfriend is one of the best bakers whose cakes I have had the pleasure of eating, for a rad and colourful family  and rad and colourful inlaws, and best friends who live a bit too far but who I will get to see this year and with whom I know nothing will ever change. And that I do have my health even though it sure doesn't feel like it right now.

I am grateful that I get to go back to this

I Dream of Normandie

J'ai vu les champs de l'Helvétie

Et ses chalets et ses glaciers,

J'ai vu le ciel de l'Italie,

Et Venise et ses gondoliers.

En saluant chaque patrie,

Je me disais : « Aucun séjour

N'est plus beau que ma Normandie...

T'is The Season...

After three heavenly months away from the stark reality of poverty, the frustrations of working in the industry known as charity and from the political impotance that tends to overwhelm the agency--and system-- I am sometimes begrudgingly  a part of (though I am very much aware of the fact that it is this very system that has allowed me the privilege to "escape" for my leave), I am in better spirits this year to face the do-gooders, their band aid generosity and the lack of agency my "agency" seems to express by thwarting its full political potential out of fear of alienating "donors" during this giving season.

My good humour will not last long as donations pile up, citizens hopped up on Jesus or the desire to treat poverty as a fleeting "learning experience" for their children (at best) or as a feel good corporate wank (at worst), bring armies of folks to the DTES where their christmas kindness is expected and yes, appreciated, but where socks, deodorant, candy, and even money surprisingly don't seem to make a dent in systemic poverty (why else need they come back each year and myself each day?)

My post-vacation bliss will perhaps last a bit longer than I expected as it seems some (I should mention way less established agencies) are cluing in and promoting--gasp!---political change! 

The Renfrew-Collingwood Neighbourhood House has the balls to name to problem by promoting the BC poverty reduction coalition's brazen initiative to educate children about the root causes of social injustice and to urge them--through a more mindful canned food drive--to ask the public to demand the government step up and do its job!

We can all agree that the community does come together to try to address poverty with what limited means we have as mere citizens at our disposal, but nothing is going to change fundamentally if the political climate remains the same. Charity is effective in an emergency situation, but the widening divide between rich and poor in this country is systemic: now woven, just like food banks and shelters which are maxed out, into the very fabric of our lives.

so why are we doing this again?

Not just for kids, check out the "keep your coins and make change" innitiative:  http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2013_prc-food-bank_lesson-plan-complete.pdf

Now if only other agencies could promote this message...

Oh Canada (what next?)

Despite the sadness of the spectacle the political arena has presented in the last while here in Canada (i.e cracked out buffoons running the show, espionage scandals, fiscal snafu's, not to mention the continual funnelling of our ecological wealth at bargain basement prices), I am shocked and disgusted by the news this week of mass cuts and layoffs in our rapidly dwindling public sector, specifically the termination over the next two years of thousands of postal workers, ostensibly due to the "obsolescence" of paper mail and the alleged decrease in revenues. (Though of course the crown corporation's executives get to stick around and collect three figure incomes). 

College instructors who teach technical English to recent immigrants were also delivered a fatal blow this week because the Federal government deems that private and non-profit agencies will do a better (aka less expensive, but at what cost?) job at helping newcomers assimilate to our proud multicultural (equal opportunity?) society. Our immigration policies have always been a bit dubious, but come on! Are we really going to be taking this many steps back? 

It seems that every where you turn Unions are being busted with little support from the public as it seems most people fail to see the bigger picture: that unions protect the rights of workers and strive to maintain a quality of life that every body--not just specific workers-- should have access to. People fail to recognize that with every busted union (hello Ikea and it's 7 month lock out of employees), a minimal  quality of life (key word is QUALITY) is threatened for every one in society, not just the workers of a particular corporation, establishment, or government sector. 

The rhetoric of the "lazy" union worker is easy to buy into when most people do not have access in this day in age to the protections that unionised workers still (though decreasingly) have access to. And while its true that there are issues inherent to unions (I know, I am part of one, yes there are a few who atrophy from a lack of competition and rest on their seniority while passionate workaholics need to do their time and often lose their spark by the time they reach the ranks that afford security), these are always far less problematic and costly to taxpayers than the crimes committed by politicians and others of the white collar persuasion. 

Hey who needs mail when we have the Internet (look around at the ageing population)? Who needs unions when basic human rights are also outmoded? I guess I'm just a left wing nut case to still harbour the crazy ideal that the government should be working for the people. My bad. I imagine that it actually will make more sense for immigrants to take less specialized courses seeing as though their likelihood of getting meaningful work will be even less (we all know what "chances" a nurse from the Philippines has of actually practising in this country) as every one else's opportunities are increasingly limited and we will all be scrambling for the privilege to do shit service work at tiny wages with no protection or rights. 

There is nothing to fight for in a world where we are all dispensable. 

Cerbere, Forgotten City

One of the most memorable places I visited in France was the town of Cerbere, which is kind of like a French Detroit in so far as it was once a booming destination, the epi centre of a vibrant economy, that is now a forgotten town whose population has gradually dwindled and whose once lavish relics stand      vacant and decrepit, though some still quite majestic in a haunting sort of way.

Before the European union erased borders, the mechanization of the railway system, and the development of vast automobile and air plane travel, Cerbere was a place of trade and leisure as it is the last French town before Spain, which is only 4 kilometers away. The train is what built Cerbere. Because the Spanish rail system was different than the french, imported and exported goods had to be moved through manually, which created many jobs for people on both sides of the border. Since it took a while for people to get through the paperwork to cross into Spain, Cerbere became a tourism Mecca as developers saw the opportunity to make the waits appealing. Most notably the ship-shaped Art Deco palace (now a faded beauty), le Belevere Du Rayon Vert Hotel, became a destination in its own right with its high class rooms, roof top tennis court, impressive theatre, and luxurious banquet halls overlooking the Mediterranean sea that appealed to the 1930s glitterati. Josephine Baker even performed there. But now the place is empty despite the owner's painstaking efforts to foster a revival,  save for a few legend seeking tourists (like me) who come for a guided tour or to rent a "revamped" apartment there for a weekend. 

Cerbere feels kind of like a ghost town. The mechanized voice of the National Train Corporation (SNCF) still reverberates through the entire town every hour announcing the incoming trains, but now this is just a pit stop for most travellers. Though if you hang out long enough you can witness some beautiful snippets of Cerbere's present life, for example I listened to a group of old timers sitting on a bench in small renovated concrete covered park and was struck by the beauty of their sing song accent, an interesting mix of Spanish and french, which made more of an impact on me than anything else I saw on this incredible field trip to "la ville au bout du monde."*

*city at the end of the earth, as it's sometimes also called. 

Blindly Lead Me

The other day my boss called me into his office and I just knew it was going to be one of those conversations where I would have steam coming out of my ears.Apparently the "health and safety committee" (one of many committees) of our organization determined that serving expired food to our clients is a health hazard. Really? That never crossed my mind day in day out when I personally hand out two-day old ham sandwiches, five day old yogurt, stale bread and dubious looking hamburger to those we are meant to "help."  So the powers that be have noticed a problem and have given the orders that all food that is past due shall be thrown out.

OK so it seems we are on the same page, at least on the surface, though the inconsistencies of the charity food system are hardly a new discovery. One of the biggest issues or "hazards" from my perspective is that the organization refuses to turn down anything out of fear of offending donors. This means that a larger percentage of what we get is crap, which we spend money (and resources) on sorting and disposing of in the name of PR. This goes for food too, though often we are forced to salvage and serve what we can--without expired food we would not have a meal program; an obscene catch 22 that we are forced to be complicit with, allowing individuals and corporations the opportunity to feel good by dumping garbage (literally sometimes) or non-perishables (same thing) with ignorance and good intention (though you know what they say about those.)

I once got in trouble for saying that I rather have the clients starve to death than to serve them pastries first thing in the morning. Is this not the same attitude on a broader level, served without indignation?

Those at the top have of this inevitably hierarchized system have more power than I do, yet the buck is passed off silently.  Alas the organization is not really getting with the times, they are only repackaging the inadequacy of the system as a shortcoming front line workers need to fix. By framing this issue as a "health and safety" concern limited to the workers of the organization, management is grossly simplifying a complex, systemic issue thereby precluding any meaningful solution to the food situation.

 The conversation really should go beyond whether food is expired or not in an immediate sense. What we should really be speaking about at an organizational level is food insecurity: the degree to which a sizable proportion of the population of this supposedly affluent nation do not have the means with which to access adequate food through acceptable--aka non-soup kitchen--channels. These are the people we are meant to assist. Food insecurity (malnourishment, not simplistically defined hunger) is part of the same issue as housing insecurity, which is the niche the organization I work for ostensibly concerns itself with most. These issues should not be considered separately, they are part and parcel and linked to the economy--the same economy that allows for the overproduction of goods which leads to waste (that gets tossed into the charitable landfill.) As long as the organization refuses to systematically acknowledge and verbalize the short comings of the system we work within we will continue to buy into and perpetuate the worst aspects of charity. Without meaningfully reflecting and dialoguing about our position in the charitable "economy" we will keep simplifying social justice issues as logistical concerns and never move beyond the band aid.

The layers and layers of management aren't coming up with a solution, such as a food policy, an interim donor education program,  a budget for an adequate food program (we all know that it is the more controversial, and infinitely sexier aspects of the "harm reduction" continuum that foster cash flow these days--yet we refuse to talk about this.) As a result it is up to the lowliest cogs in the machine to "innovate" with their few resources and cultural capital.So who looks at the bigger picture?

Community Kitchen: Feast of Falafel

This week, I did my first Community Kitchen in over a month. A hiatus was nice as it gave other staff a chance to run the program and to expose the participants to different styles and flavours--in other words, it gave these gents (and the occasional lady) a break from cilantro and kale. On my end it was nice to replenish a bit.  Community kitchens can be a bit taxing, and there are few things worse than an exhausted and therefore uninspired facilitator ( my long stint taking university courses delivered by lack luster profs taught me at least that).



Our humble spread offsetting the institutional space a bit...

Some time away really helped me realize how much I love this program. In honour of the CK and all the people who have been regulars for almost two years we made an awesome falafel feast! This spread was such a hit that nobody asked for ice cream (one of my coworkers got them used to the good--and not so healthy--stuff in my absence.) And nobody asked "wheres the meat?" or even the cheese! Yes this meal is basically vegan (save for some homemade tzaziki,which can be replaced with tahini, hot sauce, baba ghanouj, hummus or anything at all) and nobody noticed! This version of the falafel is baked so it is also healthier in that respect. We ate ours in a whole wheat pita, but the falafel patties could easily be wrapped in collard or lettuce leaves, or served on top of a salad....I chose the bread option mainly because I didn't want to push it too much with my loyal crew.

Falafel: Makes 12 (cut recipe in half if serving a smaller group, or freeze patties)

2 cans or 1 cup of dry garbanzo beans (with 1/2 cup of water reserved)
1/2 cup of flour of your choice (i used chickpea)
1 tablespoon of baking powder
5 cloves of garlic
a few mint leaves (optional)
1/2 of a cup parsley
1 teaspoon of cumin
dash of cayenne
salt and pepper

Directions:

Turn over on to 350 degrees. Throw everything in a food processor or pound everything in a bowl with the back of a wooden spoon (if moisture is needed add a bit of water or reserved chickpea water.) Roll into ping pong-sized balls. Place balls on a baking sheet greased with coconut oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes (rotate mid-way) and put on broil for the last 5 minutes to achieve crispiness.

Tzaziki-ish:

2 cup Greek yogurt
1 small cucumber-shredded
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 clove of garlic-minced
1/4 cup of dill-minced
1 small shallot sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Throw everything in a bowl and take out your aggressions with your spoon by making circular gestures until everything is combined.

Sandwich assembly:

In wrap of your choice place shredded lettuce or greens of your choice, diced cucumbers, tomatoes and minced parsley. Top with two falafel balls and sauce. Bon appetit!

We also made a killer tabbouleh (I'll be sure to post the recipe soon), and some simple yet very tasty roasted vegetables...