The Little Things That Get Me Through The Day || Expat Diaries

How was January for you? For me, it was quite slow and it felt like it would not end but then again, I just woke up one day and it finally is February!

Anyway, I just came out from 3 night shifts and I felt the itch to write again and had the urge to scratch it so here I am again, narrating my disorganized train of thoughts like casually talking to a friend.

And speaking of friend, I dedicate this blog post to my dear friend who passed away last year because of cancer. She made me magnify my blessings and got me thinking that the little things really do matter and her passing away made me somehow go back to writing. Liebe Marie, soar high our angel! Gone but never forgotten! (tearing up while writing this)

I don't know about you but writing for me has been a life saver. It eases my pain, downplays my anxiety and without me even macro noticing it, I'd more often than not, feel a hundred times better thereafter.

I am exploring different styles of writing because I am basically not a pro and I appreciate people giving me suggestions too on how I could improve my writing. I value growth even if it could be very uncomfortable sometimes. If you try to notice, I usually write with a lot of segways because I'm the elf queen of flight of ideas. But I hope you don't mind. Haha! I just want this blog to be as authentic as it can be. I guess, I'm the type of person who thrives more in spontaneity and a little mess than in rigid & structured systems and squeaky clean spaces and I've accepted that about myself already. I don't intend to sound like a narc here who just talks about herself but I just want the readers of this blog( if there's any, lol!) to have quite a brief background of my personality. So now it's time to buckle up because I'll be flying you into my psyche.

Ok, Had a busy shift but oh well, endorsed. Clocked out. Moved forward like the shift did not emotionally drain me. Periodt.

The hospital where I am currently working in has a lot of exits and I chose the one which is nearer to the city so I could walk more on my way home. I went to the Balkan bakery today to buy a cinnamon roll and a cheese spinach bread for breakfast but I was too exhausted when I arrived home that I was not even able to eat any of them anymore. But it was quite a cute offline moment. It's one of the short moments where I get to romanticize in the now, like soaking everything in like the bright city lights, how beautiful the colors of the skies are, the Hellos of random passers by, greeting fellow employees, how peaceful a 6:30 a.m. winter morning walk can be etc. Things which aren't even grand to start with, but definitely make you fall in love with life again.

Hence, it led me to self-reflection and pondering life and death on my desk while eating the Hot and Spicy Sisig rice bowl which I cooked with my Ensalada de pepino on the side.

I've been living alone abroad for more than 4 years and to be honest, I had a hard time choosing gratitude daily at first especially when things got tough but now that things have become much clearer, I always try to look back and be grateful for how far I've come. It's definitely just an easy peasy walk in the park out here.. Jurassic Park to be specific, they say and these little things that I'd be sharing to you which keep helping me get through the day are so relatable no matter where you are in the world.

Disclaimer: These are based on my personal experience and I am not trying to impose anything here because these may not be applicable for everyone. :)

So I hope, you enjoy reading and take away everything that you would be finding useful.

1. Prayer

   This has always been my morning prayer everyday since forever so I ain't gatekeepin' it nah more. "Lord God, keep us in Your holy wound, keep us in Your holy blood that no evil, no enemies seen or unseen, not even death will keep us away from You." 'Us' because I pray not just for me but also for my loved ones, friends, colleagues, the world and my patients. I respect all religions though, including atheists and agnostics. Just wanna share that a lot of Atheists I've gotten to know have shown me nothing but pure kindness so I just want to break the misconception that just because they do not share the same beliefs as ours, they are all bad people. Hell no! :)

2. Taking deep breaths

   It's a no brainer but I promise you, it releases tension, regulates your nervous system and improves your mood.

3. Positive affirmations

   Whether it's my day off or I'm on my way to work, I utter even one positive affirmation like "I am respected, loved and valued."

4. Food

   What a blessing it is to go home to home-cooked meals (which I cooked myself, cuz who else will? lol), to be able to be alone with your comfort food and cravings and to be able to afford eating outside from time to time. Food is our fuel to get through the day so eating proper meals is a must especially if your work is very demanding. I may not eat healthy everyday but I always see to it that I have greens and fruits in my diet.

5. Kindness in all forms

   May it be a hug from a colleague, a Hello from a stranger, a smile from patients and friends, simple gestures like your colleague making you coffee before endorsement, receiving help from work, a random stranger letting you go first in the line while grocery shopping, taking a hot shower as a form of self-care after work, kind messages and memes from friends or colleagues, a Thank You from anyone and I could endlessly go on. You see, despite everything bad happening in the world, there is still kindness everywhere.

6. Being present

   We spend a lot of time scrolling that we forget to be present. It has also been a challenge for me but everyday, I try my best to spend even just one hour being present and being in my element.

7. Good quality sleep

   As a healthcare worker, we work morning, p.m. and night shifts so basically, our circadian rhythm is disrupted and messed up but thankfully, I usually get to have approximately 6-11 hours of good quality sleep. I manifested this at the start of the year. "I am well-rested," Power naps get me through draining shifts too and also while I'm traveling.

8. Music

   Music heals my soul. It's my free therapy.

9. Movement

   Whenever my body feels sluggish, I try to move. It does not have to involve running or walking to a park all the time. For me it's just simply moving my body, like doing household chores like cleaning my toilet, going downstairs or upstairs, cooking something, a 15 minute Pilates on my yoga mat at home and during Tuesday and Sunday, I attend dance classes which I always look forward to every week. It's easy to say that going to the gym is beneficial but who needs a gym when your work involves heavy lifting, pushing and pulling heavy things, positioning patients who are triple your weight, a whole lot of walking and sometimes running to a code blue? For that, I am grateful that I have a job which makes me move. Disclaimer: I'm all for maintaining health thru being a gymshark or an outdoor hiking person but the main point here is: Just freakin' move.

10. Rest

    Sleep, for me, is not completely synonymous with rest (I may be wrong so feel free to correct me, I do not mind) that's why I think it earns a separate bullet point. For me, it's just simply shutting down, relaxing your body, chilling, not thinking about anything at all while freeing some mental space, staying in your room, pausing and taking a break.

11. Vitamins and Supplements

    We face viruses and bacteria everyday (as a nurse working in a hospital) so I need reinforcements for my body to keep going. I take Omega 3, Vitamin D(very essential for me esp. during winter), Vitamin C, Magnesium, Vitamin B complex and to be honest, they really boosted my energy.

12. Hydration

    Hey, I'm not talking about beer and Vodka here ok? Haha! I mean, drink an ample amount of water because hydration is also an essential part of skincare bruhhh. Unless you have cardiac decompensation, then that's a different story. :)

13. Caffeine fix and Tea

    One coffee a day during day shifts is my Muntermacher and Tea for night shifts. I try to avoid caffeine during night shifts because it might hinder the quality of sleep I need to recharge. Personally, I love Chamomile, Fennel and Nettle Tea. I find them very comforting.

14. Noticing small wins and cultivating gratitude

    Tired and sore but you showed up for yourself and to the world anyway? You accomplished a small task, did the laundry, folded your clothes, cleaned the toilet, cooked yourself a meal, made your family happy, your patients smile and your colleagues laugh or just simply existed, got up and breathed in and out? Never undermine that. Always remember that not everyone gets to wake up alive everyday. Count your blessings, never your trials. When you live abroad, this is crucial.

15. Deutsch

    It's been more than 4 years dear Deutsch and you still get me literally speechless at times. lol! Deutsch is your lifeline in Germany. Unfortunately, geht es leider nicht anders.

16. Asking for help

    You can not just do things on your own all the time. Sometimes, you need to ask for help so you can be helped and acknowledge that need. Simple as that.

17. Goals, mini and macro motivators

    There are a lot of things that motivate us to keep going. It's the love and respect we have for ourselves, our craft, our colleagues, our family and God. More than the money we need to earn to live a better life, it's the goals we have set that keep us going... goals set within an achievable and flexible time frame, not within a strict and forced one. It can be anything that sparks joy, somewhat like a mini Ikigai like the movies or series we look forward watching after coming home, getting lost between pages of a good book, learning a new skill or a new language, going to dance classes, writing music or simply scribbling or bubble baths, biking or running distances, cuddling your dog/cat (if it's applicable to you), the hug of your kids or loved ones when you come home (if you have any), your karaoke sessions, seeing your progress in the gym, expressing any form of creativity and the list goes on.

18. Accepting that I am not everyone's cup of tea.

    I do me, no matter what they say. End of story.

I know you might probably say that these are easier said than done especially if you are on a good mood but believe me, I did these things broke and broken too because realistically speaking, nobody can help you better than you. You can be guided, enlightened and all that but the decision is always yours to make.

Finally ending this blog post with a beautiful quote which has always stayed rent-free in my mind: "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault

If you resonate with any of my blog posts, please feel free to support me and this amateur blog of ours thru buying me coffee: https://ko-fi.com/misssmallcreature

Thank you so much for reading this far and any kind of support is highly appreciated! Life feels so much better with all of you in it! :))

Have an amazing month full of love and inner peace!