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Anyone who read my very first blog post on this site back in 2014, will know that I had some trouble adapting to apartment life. Readers may have wondered whether I would be able to sustain it. Well, I did—for a while. In fact, I lasted seven years—a lot longer than I thought I would. Seven is a mystical number that expresses the energy of learning through experience. This kind of learning isn't always comfortable, and often involves sacrifice. It took time for me to grow comfortable with the idea of relinquishing the family home, and all the stuff I'd accumulated. I grieved for my big house, even though I knew intuitively that I was moving forward. As I reduced my physical load to a density that my new apartment could hold, my spirit expanded. I felt free enough from domestic distractions to be able to focus on my creative work, and my healing from PTSD; which I felt were inextricably linked. But when I realised how noisy my new home was, I wondered if I could focus. Relucta

Melbourne Lockdown Number Six - Six Ways I Stay (Mostly) Sane

- August 07, 2021

To say that many Melbournians are feeling a little maddened by our sixth lockdown would be an understatement. Social media posts are showing us starting to come apart at the seams, bickering amongst ourselves like grounded teenagers. To be honest, life isn't so different for me. I still went to the shops, like a normal Friday. But I'm frustrated by my efforts at trying to teach new classes in belly dance and tarot. I started with two brand new groups, after months of marketing—and now our term of classes has been stalled until who knows when. So rather than dwelling on a feeling of treading water, surrounded by sharks, I'm going to focus on the things I do at home that make it a great place to be. The emphasis is on creating a warm nest, instead of a padded cell. 1. Routine Maintaining a routine that is as close to normal as possible really helps to stay connected to time, space and security. There's something instinctively comforting about daily routines. Our pets kno