The power of online work

You might think that working online is limited to writing and therefor not for you, or totally boring. That is why I wanted to talk about the many other facets of online work.

Sure if you chose online therapy a lot of that is going to involve writing, either in emails or chat. But there is so much more.

Next to your e-mail you could include drawings you have made on your computer or drawing you have made on paper and you have made a photograph of. Creative therapy can be enormously helpfull during counselling if that is something that appeals to you.

The same with music, if music is important to you, you can listen to your favorite songs and themes while you do your online work. You can send links of that music to your counsellor so they know what you are talking about.

As technology moves so fast I am sure that within a few years there will be so many more options. Something I am watching closely at the moment is Second Life and avatar therapy. Imagine being able to create how you want to look and be able to create whatever you want in a virtual surrounding, it has so much potential for counselling. And it is exciting to watch the new technologies, to learn about them. So you can count on it that I will tell you about what I find out on this blog.

Travelling for Highly Sensitives

I am back from my trip to Britain. [more about that in later blogs] First I wanted to tell a little bit about my trip. Going to Britain involved 4 different trains in 4 different countries and one tube ride. To add to the fun the international train I had to take in Rotterdam was so full already that I physically did not fit into anymore with my luggage and I had to wait an hour for the next one. I hit London at the peak of rush hour, which made it a bit of a battle to get the luggage safely up and down the stairs of two tube and one trainstation. Then the last train I had to take was packed with commuters and took twice the time it should for the journey.

Deep breath....

It’s is probably not a wild guess to say that most Highly Sensitive People [HSP's] are not too fond of public transport. This can have many reasons.

Some of us don't like

• The noise around us
• The smells/perfumes around us
• strain our eyes by looking at the fast changing landscape outside
• picking up energies from other people

Or more or all of the above. This can bringe you to the stage that you despair of having to go anywhere by public transport. I am not saying you can reduce all the influences all the time but there are things you can do to protect yourself.




I had prepared for my trip to London. Although I don't like to waste time, I had given myself plenty of time to get to the station. Personally I find that rushing increases my anxiety level.

• So if you can allow for lots of time when you travel and also plan time between change overs in between that way you have less stress before and during travel.

So when I got to Rotterdam and that train was packed, I had the option to wait for an hour for the next one, which would still give me plenty of time to get my connection in Brussels. I spend the time inbetween treating myself to fresh bread from the station shop and buying a magazine I wanted.

• Try to make the best of a bad situation, treat yourself to something nice and try to smile and not beat yourself up or worry.

Once in the train to Brussels, which was on time and had room for me and my suitcase I was smiling because I had made the right decision and I was now so happy that I had waited the extra hour. As the landscape gliding by outside does make me tired I actually prefer a seat on the balcony were I have no view and were I can contentrate on music or reading and also do not have too many people around me.

• If you can find a seat inside that suits your needs. Think of silence areas [we have them on Dutch trains], a balcony which has less sensory input and less people

Travel on the Eurostar went smoothly, as it is allotted seating and not a busy period the train was not overcrowded and the comfortable seats were a treat. I had selected an aisle seat which for me again means less sensory input from the windows and I don't have to ask the person next to me to move when I want to go and get something. It gives me a feeling of freedom.

• With allocated seating in some trains and in planes try to figure out beforehand what kind of seat would suit you and try to reserve it.

I knew beforehand that  I would be hitting London during the evening rush hour so I had prepared myself mentally. And just before pulling into the station I had done one of my mediatation excersises pulling up a wall around me to keep other people's energies from leaking into mine too much. Because of all this the trip through London went like a breeze and before I knew it I was in my next train.

• Prepare yourself beforehand when you will be travelling during peak hours. 

To be honest that last train was the hardest. I was tired from the journey and the train was hot and overcrowded and it went sllloooowwwww. Yes it tried my patience. On the other hand I knew I was nearly there and that made it bearable.


All in all it was a good trip and I enjoyed it. What works for you in public transport? Please share your tips here.

Off to recharge the bateries

This is a short post to let everyone know that I am in the process of recharging the batteries. With the winter almost upon us it is importand to take care of our wellbeing. With that in mind I have taken the oppertunity to travel to Britain for a few days.

Do you have special places were you feel at home? A place were it is almost impossible not to be happy? I hope you do. Britain is one of those places for me. There is something about the countryside and the cottages that just make me happy. Even the big cities put a smile n my face.

 So next week there will be no blog as I am on my travels. When I get back I am sure I have many things to share. Take care all, and make sure you recharge your batteries before winter.

The season is changing

I guess for most people reading this, it is the time of year were summer if finally definately over and winter is not too far off. For a lot of people it is a hard time of the year to deal with. They find it dificult that the days are getting shorter and colder. Therefore it is no big surprise that a lot of seasonal depression start in the autumn when the leaves begin to fall.

What can you do to defend yourself against these feelings? Especially for those with chronic complaints the long winter can seem daunting yet there are things you can do to protect yourself as much as you can.

• Eat healthy foods

• Take supplements when needed

• Warm clothes [if muscles are your weak point, keep them warm]

• Use hot water bottles or gelpacks to make sure you bed is nice and warm when you step in.

• If the loss of light hits you hard use daylight therapy to make up for it.

• Pamper yourself by taking long baths or showers or get a massage

Allow yourself to set a slower pace. Accept that winter is tougher than summer and don't be angry if you can do less. Focus on what you still can do and enjoy that to the fullest.

If after all your precautions the sniffels and the coughs do get you, remember you did the best you could. Now allow yourself a few days to let your body heal.  Have plenty of tissues on hand, nice big mugs of hot tea and other treats and make the best of it. Watch that nice movie you did not have time to before, read a book and if you can't concentrate too long, listen to your favorite music and recharge.


And remember every day spring is a day closer! And yes there is much in winter to enjoy as well if you open your mind to it.

How do you recharge your batteries?

In our society everything has to move fast. Often we juggle work, private life, family, kids and study all together and most of us wish there were more hours in the day. While we are so busy running it is easy to forget that our body and spirit also needs to rest and relax. If we don’t we will get signals that more rest is needed. Your body is very good at letting you know that it cannot cope any longer. At first it will be gentle small signals but if you refuse to listen those signals will become less and less subtle until either your body or your mind will call it a halt. This can result in burn out or RSI [repetitive strain injury] like complaints that can linger for long times.

So what do you do when your body tells you to take a break. I can tell you what works for me. Next to a hot shower, a good book or a good movie, for me a change of location helps. To just be able to leave home and work behind and just take those books and movies that help you relax and to go out into nature. The beach is one of my favorites, nothing beats being on the beach when a storm is blowing and you watch the strength of nature in the waves. This time of year, fall, a forest is also very favorite. The turning of the leaves makes nature stand out in splendor. Or to find a spiritual place on earth. For me that is Glastonbury in England, but you don’t have to be spiritual to have that special place somewhere where you feel good and that allows you to recharge the batteries.

 

Feel free to share here what you do to relax and recharge.