Transitions, Transformations and a Little Photography
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Stresslaxing
As humans we’re an interesting bunch - ok we can be down right bizarre! I came across this term stresslaxing and I was curious enough to find out what it was all about, so I spent some time diving down the rabbit hole of researching into it - this is one of the many things that I love about retirement - having the time and space to explore and research and just learn new things. My research brought me to this new phenomenon which has emerged where the actual act of relaxation itself induces stress. This rather paradoxical experience is known as stresslaxing and it’s a term that tries to capture the anxiety sparked in some people, who when they are stressed, attempt to relax, but find themselves incapable of doing so.
Seasonal Transitions
This transitional time is my favourite time of the year - while I love to watch the world wake up from the frosty cold of winter, I often find that changes happen too quickly in the springtime - the temperatures and precipitation can yo-yo and leave me feeling caught up in a whirlwind of changes. The summer has its warmth and lazy hazy days, however I find it almost too vibrant - too green. When the days start to shorten and the leftover heat of the day cools down, the air takes on a bit of crispness and the leaves on the trees start to take on their autumnal colours - this is my time of year - this is when I feel grateful to be able to spend time outside and soak up the lingering warmth of the season.
Being outside my routine
I have written quite a bit about the changes that I’ve made around healthier eating, strength training and wellness in an attempt to lead a more mindful life and improve my wellbeing. It has taken me a few years to identify the habits that I wanted to introduce and those that I wanted to part ways with - Atomic Habits (James Clear) is an excellent resource and I wrote about it here.
It took a lot of consistency and small changes to build up the good habits that I wanted to introduce, such as strength training, yoga, meditation and photography walks to name a few. Then last April everything changed when we bought a new home.
The shifts in what is important
This recent move to the “country” (see this blog post) really highlighted for me that I have made some significant shifts in what is important (as has Kory). We identified the values that are important to us when we started seriously searching for a new home. Nature, a less busy location, space and places to walk were the things that we identified as being important.
Our previous home was located within walking distance of downtown Calgary in a lovely neighbourhood that was close to coffee shops and grocery stores. There was a vibe of busy urban
Evenings with my backyard visitors
I know that I’ve mentioned it before, however this move to the “country” has had a significant impact on the way that I’m spending my time. I hadn’t envisioned that I would be spending quite as much time as I do outside - I mean I thought I was outdoorsy before, but now a huge portion of my day is spent outside - and I keep looking for more reasons to head on out the door.
Wandering around with my weed digger doing my weekly rounds is a great way to survey the yard and see what has changed since my last check in.
I did a podcast
When I started out wanting to learn photography with my Nikon d5600 DSLR camera and 18-55mm kit lens purchased with points, I had no idea where it would all lead. I got that camera about 6.5 years ago now and it was a great camera to learn on. I initially hired my wedding photographer to spend an hour with me teaching me the exposure triangle and how to use the camera - it was a great starting point and got me going.
Maintaining Balance
I recall that during my working life I was constantly searching for balance - I felt the pull from work and an even bigger pull from home to have my attention. I will admit that there were a lot of times when I didn’t get the balance right and I feel that my home life suffered as a result. In addition I think that my mental and physical wellbeing suffered - not just from the actual stress of the situation, but also the additional stress of feeling guilt and regret for not being present for my family.
All or nothing mentality
I think of peoples’ personalities or traits as being part of a spectrum and it is a fluid spectrum (i.e., I don’t think people act in one manner exclusively as we often identify ourselves), however I do believe that we have preferred approaches or manners. Back in this blog post (
irritability, cabin fever and a breakthrough
) I wrote about viewing the way we react to things like we’re floating down a river between the banks of rigidity and chaos. Going to either extreme puts us in an undesirable state where we’re either digging in our heels over every little thing or feeling totally overwhelmed.
Taking time to breathe and enjoy life
I cannot believe what a whirlwind the last 6 months have been - from travelling to Iceland for a photographic tour, buying and selling a house, packing up and moving to the country and then setting up a new house.
Add on two more trips - a photographic retreat in July and a kayaking trip in August and it equals overload!
Everything was planned a year in advance with the exception of the house move - what a crazy ride it’s been!
Follow up on photography retreat
Well I’ve been back from my photography retreat in New Brunswick for a few weeks now and I’ve finally gotten around to writing about how it went. Meeting up with someone you know primarily from an online space can sometimes be challenging, especially if either or both of you are presenting a “perfect” image of yourself, however I was pretty sure that Heather and I would get along well and not have that awkwardness associated with figuring out what is real and virtual about another person - we’re both rather down to earth and direct people which is refreshing to encounter.
Time on the water.
I grew up in Windsor, Ontario which is close to the Great Lakes and filled with water bodies. I spent time in my youth canoeing (back country camping trips to Algonquin Park) and sailing (lasers up to 35’ sailboats on the lakes). It was a source of joy and peacefulness for me. I recall the sound of the wooden paddle dipping into the water repeatedly - there is nothing quite as calming as gliding through a mirror like lake in the early morning mist - that slight crisp chill in the air and muscles that are stretching and warming up under the exertion. I have a very visceral reaction to spending time on the water.
Consistency and habit forming.
I’ve talked a bit in earlier posts about how the brain loves predictability and in fact our brain rewards us with dopamine hits when we can correctly predict things. However predictability is not always the best thing for us as it can stifle creativity and growth. A bit of surprise occasionally can do wonders for sparking different centres in our brains. There is a lot to be said for balance - a good routine and consistency with some unpredictability thrown in to shake things up and keep us on our toes.
Photography Retreat Trip prep
This feels like a very full year and although some of it was planned there has been some unexpected aspects (like moving house) and before these unplanned events I had several trips in the calendar including a photography retreat to New Brunswick.
I have been part of a really supportive online photography community A Year With My Camera which I highly recommend for new and experienced photographers. One of the many things that I appreciate about being part of this community is the fellow photographers I have gotten to know
Macros tracking in Iceland
I have been struggling to lose some weight for quite a while now - it seems like once I hit 60 that my metabolism decided it was going to do its own thing no matter what I did. I talked about it a bit in this blog post (The Stories We Tell Ourselves).
It’s been frustrating as exercise and cutting out certain things hasn’t made a bit of difference. I’ve also noticed that my energy level has been low and I haven’t seemed to be as keen to be active as I usually am.
First week in our new home
It feels like we’ve been moving forever as there’s been a month between getting possession of the new home and handing over the keys of our old home. As a result the move has been less stressful from a time pressure perspective, but much more drawn out and complex from a logistical perspective.
This is also the first time that I’ve moved without trying to juggle a full-time job - I highly recommend it!
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Well I’ve been contemplating this post for a while now (read that to mean that this is a sticky topic for me and I’ve been avoiding committing my thoughts to paper or to screen - so to speak). It is amazing the way our brains work and I’ve been spending a lot of time recently reading and trying to learn more about neurobiology and how we’re wired to think and react to situations we encounter.
Strength Training and Photography?
I have always been active, however I wouldn’t describe myself as particularly fit. There hasn’t been a consistency or variety to the type of physical activity I do on a regular basis - I like walking, hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, bicycling, kayaking, and yoga, but I tend to be a casual or intermittent exerciser at best.
Life is about to get chaotic
September first will mark two years since I retired and those who have been following this blog will know that it has not been a smooth or easy transition for me. I feel like I am finally finding my feet and relaxing into my new role, so what would possess us and in particular me to agree to move. A very good question! Life is definitely about to get very busy and chaotic as we pack up our current home and move to the new one.
Dementia, losing yourself and finding something precious
This is a very personal entry, but hopefully a very uplifting one as well. It is coming up on 12 years since my mum passed away from complications associated with dementia. It is a difficult disease to understand much less see the effects on a loved one. My mum (Mary Elizabeth Dunning Nadin) was a bright, intelligent and vibrant woman - I would hazard a guess to say that those who knew her would agree that she was fearless.
Talking to other retirees about my passions
I can honestly say that 18 months ago I would never have imagined that I would be talking to other seniors about my photography passions and how I link it to physical and mental wellness, however I’m thrilled to have been invited to speak. In my other life (that’s how I think of my pre-retirement career), I often had to give talks and presentations - sometimes for groups up to 2 - 3 thousand people and even a few live interviews and conferences.