It was not really me.
I became my own shadow.
Probably there were too many requests for only one mind and one body. Indeed, in this turbulence, I lost myself. I realized that I should let some rest to my mind.
The irony is that I didn’t follow my own advice that I wrote previously : “Take care of you”. There is a gap between thoughts, words and actions. The idea is to discover how to manage all of them in harmony. For me the challenge is to find the balance between what is taking me energy and what is giving me energy. I still believe that this situation is an opportunity to do things that usually we don’t do. The only thing I would like to add is : it’s important to not underestimate the selfcare part.
I’ll share with you three things that help me to escape and free my mind ❤
The first one, you already guessed, is music. To me, music is vital. It helps to release emotions, thoughts and soul. Music is so powerful that researchers study the benefits of it on the brain.
The second one is nature. Nature is a nice way to recharge batteries. The coolness of a morning, the warm of the sun, the smell of the rain, the grass under the feet, the softness of a dandelion flower, the colors of the flowers, the melodious birdsong, the calming lapping of the water, the sound of the wind, the bright of stars in a dark night,… Simply nature.
The third one is sport. It is a way for me to release the pressure and to empty my mind. About the physiological aspect, when we exercise, our bodies release endorphins. These endorphins help to reduce stress and bring a feeling of well-being.
It doesn’t mean that tomorrow everybody should go for a run in nature with the earplugs on ^^ Everyone is unique. You will find what fits the most for you, what makes you feel good. You know, if you feel good, you will shine with joyfulness, and it could be powerful. So, yes, what I wanted to say is : take care of you. Really 🙂
About life here in Slovakia, from one day to the next, the two thirds of my life became virtual. It is crazy how many things we can do with technologies. Did I say that ? Am I becoming old ? Haha *As a granny* The technology is won-der-ful my dears ^^
With Inex, we still work on the administrative and communication parts, and, beside, new projects appeared through the virtual world.
This is the first year that is possible to participate in an online volunteering project ! Yes, it sounds unbelievable. For the first time in my life I took part in an international online workcamp. It was with the organization Presporkovo. The goal was to create videos for kids in different languages. I had the chance to meet new people from Slovakia, Spain, France, Russia, and even Chile ! I also enjoy meeting a previous volunteer who was in Inex and in the same flat that I am now. The world is so big and so small at the same time. His name is Quentin, he is french so we created a few videos together. I like the idea of the videos because it’s a funny way for kids to learn a foreign language.
Also appeared :
- online meetings
- online slovak class
- online international events
- online learning session (workshop, webinar, MOOC,…)
- online welcome week for volunteers
- online sport sessions
- online parties and games
How to say ? There are so many ways to connect with people. I could keep contact with friends, family and colleagues but also meet new people ! I could learn and share knowledge. I could remind and create memories. I had the chance to learn more about assertive communication, stress management in the context of crisis and also how to organize an online event, create an interactive online workshop, make a GIF or a video montage.
Staying at home has a great advantage. For example, Monika is the one in charge of the Inex training, plus, she is my flatmate. She made a training just for us three volunteers. How lucky we were to have a private trainer at home. Triple advantage : 1. Learn and share knowledge 2. Appreciate the comfort of being at home 3. Enjoy time together.
⭐ Few updates which happened in real life ⭐
Easter celebration : we had a lovely meal together and the timeless easter egg hunt
New collection of bandanas and masks. Some are from my colleagues from Inex and some are from Gvantsa, one of my friends. She is a volunteer. Those days, she sews masks with her non-profit organization Sposa.
Photography : I’m back in the game. Going to watch the sunrise. I love it. I love the softness of the colors in the sky. I love the shadows and sunbeams moving slowly minute by minute. It was what I needed. Photography keeps me alive. It is the beauty of capturing a moment… a feeling… while creating a memory.
Running after a slovak penguin. Such a release for me. With my roommate and my friends, we enjoyed time together next to the Danube. It was really nice to see them again. It was really nice to just lay in the grass and talk.
The little onion. The story is that we had this little onion which started to grow some leaves in the food cupboard. So instead of throwing it away, I decided to give it a second chance and plant it. Now I am super proud that it’s still alive haha The moral of the story is : sometimes giving a second chance lets the opportunity to grow héhé 😛
I let you with this amazing story about the little onion ^^
Cheers
Liasoueps 