This house has been having long overdue works and I admit it has left me mashed. Having no time alone suffocates me. Because I have learned that time alone is my oxygen. But this last month, alongside everyday life, I’ve been working with a spark, a chippy or a leaky* - somebody always arriving or departing. And the mess and dirt, no matter how lovely they all are, how tidy, how clean, winter (and snow!) means everything gets dragged in especially when the workshop is the van outside. I admit I am drained. But that is not unusual at this time of year. Let’s find the good thing… 

Many of us car-crash into Christmas. For lots of us, it simply goes with the territory of what we have, and I’ve tried many recipes to work around that. The one which works best for me is the acceptance that it will feel upside down. So in actual fact, having fairly major disruption could be seen as a benefit. It forces me to focus and that means timetabling and organisation must be paramount. This includes my mental health now that I know it has a prominent place in the queue. 

What is the message today? It is this – if life feels upside down and overwhelming, then there can still be safety and solidity inside that. Accepting the overwhelm does not mean it’s ok, it means you have learned to place up a little barrier from which you view from. And that is very ok. 

Love from 

The room above the messy garage 

A Moodscope member