I just knocked over 2 - 1/2 pint boxes of blackberries as I was trying to put them away. I said a four letter word, which brought my 20 year old son into the room to find out what was going on. I picked up the berries, and had him wipe up the floor. I continued putting away the groceries. I stepped into the pantry, and my foot skidded. I looked down, and there was a large smashed blackberry, and several purple footprints where I had stepped when I took my foot off of the blackberry.
I had just gotten home from work and grocery shopping. I was tired, and didn't need this. I could have gotten upset. There have been times when a situation like this would have brought me to tears. (That's a pretty good trick for someone with Sjogren's Syndrome.) Instead, I joked about always wanting a pink floor as I set about cleaning it up.
What made the difference? I have had some long talks with myself, and I am working on changing how I respond to situations. I have limited energy. A situation like this can sap alot of it if I let it, but is it worth it? The berries cost a total of $1.98. The time it took me to clean it up (twice) was a total of maybe 5 minutes. By mid- morning tomorrow, it won't matter to us if we had blackberries on our cereal or not. This situation is not worth much energy at all. Certainly not worth the energy of losing my temper, crying, or even getting upset. It is worth about the amount of energy I expended making a joke and cleaning up the mess.
If you start to look at situations from this perspective, you will likely find that you are investing more energy in alot of situations than they deserve. We often react spontaneously to a situation, not taking the time to think if it is worth it. My four letter word was my spontaneous reaction, but it gave me the time I needed to assess the situation, and redirect my response into clean up mode instead of act up mode.
Think about these two words: react and respond. A reaction is spontaneous and unplanned, and often is a behavior learned from past experience. A response is usually thought out and planned, and designed to fit the situation. The way we react to things can be hard to change, since it is automatic, but with determination and practice, it can be changed. The way we respond is easier to change, because we have time to think things through, but again, it takes determination, and reminding yourself of the benefits of such a change.
The benefits of learning to respond to each situation with the amount of energy it deserves are not only the energy you save, but also the decrease in your stress level. Practice catching yourself before you respond, and asking yourself how much the situation is worth. This is not only useful with spills or mishaps, but also in an argument. Is it really worth fighting about? Does it really matter? Do I really care that much? Will I even remember it a week from now? You will likely find your own questions that will help you determine what the situation is worth to you.
BUTTERFLY BANNER
Papercut and colored pencil art by Sheryl Aronson X 5
Showing posts with label energy conservation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label energy conservation. Show all posts
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Conserve Energy: Act Like a Rain Barrel, Take 2
About two weeks ago, I wrote about setting up a rain barrel, and I related it to energy conservation for ourselves. Here is what I wrote then:
"The philosophy behind using rain barrels relates well to coping. Many of us live with fatigue, which limits how much we can do in a day/week/etc. We can't just hop in the car and go, go, go. Like a rain barrel, conserve your resources (eg- energy), plan ahead and reroute energy to where/when it is most needed. When you have extra energy, don't erode yourself by trying to do too much. When I need to water my plants, I can use the water in the rain barrels, or if they are empty, I can use the water the city supplies us. With energy, we don't have that option. Once our energy barrel is empty, it is empty until it 'rains' again. (Like our energy, that can be unpredictable.) Don't waste what it you have. Save it for a sunny day. Get plenty of rest and do what you need to do to maximize your energy. If you have something you want to do in the evening, plan your day with enough down time that there will be energy left in your barrel.
I like this 'rainbarrel theory of energy conservation'. Over the next few weeks, I am going to try to develop it further. I am open to any and all input. Send me your ideas."
No one sent ideas (I'm still waiting), but I have some new thoughts of my own. Rain barrels are usually set up on bricks or something else that raises them off of the ground., and are designed to run just from gravity pulling the water down. We had planned from the beginning that we would have ours run by a small demand pump, so my husband set them up directly on the ground. We knew that the rain barrels would not have very much pressure.
Before the pump was installed, there was a nice trickle from the hose attached to the rain barrel, which I could use to water one planter box if I held the sprayer close to the ground (not good for my body). The hose would not even work for the other planter box, because it was uphill a bit from where the rain barrels were. I watered that planter by filling up a watering can inside the apartment, taking it outside and distributing the water in the planter, and repeating 8-9 times. Needless to say, I was very happy when the pump was installed. Now the water comes out of the sprayer with just the right amount of pressure. Very useful, considering we are in the middle of a heat wave, mid 90's every day, no rain.
I see the rain barrel without the pump installed as me. I have some energy, but it is only enough to do certain things, and it doesn't reach as far as I would like. The pump represents the things I do that increase my energy, and make me more functional. I take medications. I use a CPAP machine, which helps me breathe at night, and keeps my oxygen level up where it should be. This, and going to bed earlier than I used to help me get a good night's sleep, so I wake up fairly refreshed in the morning. The rain barrel has a limited capacity, and if we don't get rain soon, it will run dry, and I will be back to using the watering can method. I have to gage how much water to use, to try to keep my plants happy, without using up the water too fast. I have to gage my own energy in a similar way, so I don't use up my energy too fast and 'run dry'. The water supplies nutrients to the plants to help them grow. I supply nutrients to me when I eat, and I try to eat mostly healthy foods, like lots of fruit and veggies, whole grains, minimal meat, and, of course, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans (they're beans, right?)
"The philosophy behind using rain barrels relates well to coping. Many of us live with fatigue, which limits how much we can do in a day/week/etc. We can't just hop in the car and go, go, go. Like a rain barrel, conserve your resources (eg- energy), plan ahead and reroute energy to where/when it is most needed. When you have extra energy, don't erode yourself by trying to do too much. When I need to water my plants, I can use the water in the rain barrels, or if they are empty, I can use the water the city supplies us. With energy, we don't have that option. Once our energy barrel is empty, it is empty until it 'rains' again. (Like our energy, that can be unpredictable.) Don't waste what it you have. Save it for a sunny day. Get plenty of rest and do what you need to do to maximize your energy. If you have something you want to do in the evening, plan your day with enough down time that there will be energy left in your barrel.
I like this 'rainbarrel theory of energy conservation'. Over the next few weeks, I am going to try to develop it further. I am open to any and all input. Send me your ideas."
No one sent ideas (I'm still waiting), but I have some new thoughts of my own. Rain barrels are usually set up on bricks or something else that raises them off of the ground., and are designed to run just from gravity pulling the water down. We had planned from the beginning that we would have ours run by a small demand pump, so my husband set them up directly on the ground. We knew that the rain barrels would not have very much pressure.
Before the pump was installed, there was a nice trickle from the hose attached to the rain barrel, which I could use to water one planter box if I held the sprayer close to the ground (not good for my body). The hose would not even work for the other planter box, because it was uphill a bit from where the rain barrels were. I watered that planter by filling up a watering can inside the apartment, taking it outside and distributing the water in the planter, and repeating 8-9 times. Needless to say, I was very happy when the pump was installed. Now the water comes out of the sprayer with just the right amount of pressure. Very useful, considering we are in the middle of a heat wave, mid 90's every day, no rain.
I see the rain barrel without the pump installed as me. I have some energy, but it is only enough to do certain things, and it doesn't reach as far as I would like. The pump represents the things I do that increase my energy, and make me more functional. I take medications. I use a CPAP machine, which helps me breathe at night, and keeps my oxygen level up where it should be. This, and going to bed earlier than I used to help me get a good night's sleep, so I wake up fairly refreshed in the morning. The rain barrel has a limited capacity, and if we don't get rain soon, it will run dry, and I will be back to using the watering can method. I have to gage how much water to use, to try to keep my plants happy, without using up the water too fast. I have to gage my own energy in a similar way, so I don't use up my energy too fast and 'run dry'. The water supplies nutrients to the plants to help them grow. I supply nutrients to me when I eat, and I try to eat mostly healthy foods, like lots of fruit and veggies, whole grains, minimal meat, and, of course, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans (they're beans, right?)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Conserve Energy: Act Like a Rain Barrel
I've been singing an old children's rhyme lately. I looked online, and found many different versions. This one is close to what I remember:
"Playmate come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three,
Climb up my apple tree,
Shout down my rain barrel,
Slide down my cellar door,
and we'll be jolly friends forever more"
We went to a workshop last weekend to learn how to set up a rain barrel. The basic idea is to collect rainwater that falls onto your roof, then use it for watering plants, washing your car, etc. My husband is outside right now, rerouting our downspout into a barrel instead of into the sewer. We got two 55 gallon drums, which we will connect together with a hose, so when the first is full, the extra water will go into the second one. We expect to collect enough water in the barrels to keep my new gardens happy.
Next time it rains, look outside at all the water running down your driveway. Think about how much is landing on your roof, and being routed into the sewer. Now think about three days later, your plants are looking dry, and you go outside to water them. Wouldn't it be nice to use some of that excess rain that fell? According to the literature they gave us at the workshop, benefits of using a rain barrel to collect rainwater include: conserving water, preventing erosion and flooding, improving storm water and ground quality, and saving money on water bills. The Rain Barrel Guide has lots of info about setting up and using a rain barrel.
The philosophy behind using rain barrels relates well to coping. Many of us live with fatigue, which limits how much we can do in a day/week/etc. We can't just hop in the car and go, go, go. Like a rain barrel, conserve your resources (eg- energy), plan ahead and reroute energy to where/when it is most needed. When you have extra energy, don't erode yourself by trying to do too much. When I need to water my plants, I can use the water in the rain barrels, or if they are empty, I can use the water the city supplies us. With energy, we don't have that option. Once our energy barrel is empty, it is empty until it 'rains' again. (Like our energy, that can be unpredictable.) Don't waste what it you have. Save it for a sunny day. Get plenty of rest and do what you need to do to maximize your energy. If you have something you want to do in the evening, plan your day with enough down time that there will be energy left in your barrel.
I like this 'rainbarrel theory of energy conservation'. Over the next few weeks, I am going to try to develop it further. I am open to any and all input. Send me your ideas.
"Playmate come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three,
Climb up my apple tree,
Shout down my rain barrel,
Slide down my cellar door,
and we'll be jolly friends forever more"
We went to a workshop last weekend to learn how to set up a rain barrel. The basic idea is to collect rainwater that falls onto your roof, then use it for watering plants, washing your car, etc. My husband is outside right now, rerouting our downspout into a barrel instead of into the sewer. We got two 55 gallon drums, which we will connect together with a hose, so when the first is full, the extra water will go into the second one. We expect to collect enough water in the barrels to keep my new gardens happy.
Next time it rains, look outside at all the water running down your driveway. Think about how much is landing on your roof, and being routed into the sewer. Now think about three days later, your plants are looking dry, and you go outside to water them. Wouldn't it be nice to use some of that excess rain that fell? According to the literature they gave us at the workshop, benefits of using a rain barrel to collect rainwater include: conserving water, preventing erosion and flooding, improving storm water and ground quality, and saving money on water bills. The Rain Barrel Guide has lots of info about setting up and using a rain barrel.
The philosophy behind using rain barrels relates well to coping. Many of us live with fatigue, which limits how much we can do in a day/week/etc. We can't just hop in the car and go, go, go. Like a rain barrel, conserve your resources (eg- energy), plan ahead and reroute energy to where/when it is most needed. When you have extra energy, don't erode yourself by trying to do too much. When I need to water my plants, I can use the water in the rain barrels, or if they are empty, I can use the water the city supplies us. With energy, we don't have that option. Once our energy barrel is empty, it is empty until it 'rains' again. (Like our energy, that can be unpredictable.) Don't waste what it you have. Save it for a sunny day. Get plenty of rest and do what you need to do to maximize your energy. If you have something you want to do in the evening, plan your day with enough down time that there will be energy left in your barrel.
I like this 'rainbarrel theory of energy conservation'. Over the next few weeks, I am going to try to develop it further. I am open to any and all input. Send me your ideas.
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