From the Desk of the Head of House: One Week In

The beginning of this term has already been quite busy!

There has been the usual whirlwind of OWL proposals and the Order of the Phoenix is already accepting BROOMs.  Quidditch Match 1 starts today.  Out in the Real World, many of us have been busy with things like the start of school, moving, workload shifts at work, and natural disasters like fires or hurricanes.

There are a few questions there that we should consider asking ourselves to make sure that the business of Life doesn't cause us to forget to take care of our most basic needs.  

Am I getting enough rest?
I know that some of us deal with things like insomnia that cause us to be unable to sleep the generally recommended amount of time, but we can still rest.  Take some time away from electronics, meditate or lie down for a little bit, maybe even take a nap.  Constantly being on the go mentally and physically can in the end cause us to exhaust ourselves to the point where we cannot continue to fulfill our obligations because we have crashed.  So taking time to rest will allow us to be more productive in the long run.

Am I remembering to eat?
This is one that I am personally guilty of.  I tend to remember to feed everyone else in my household and then forget to feed myself.  Along with remembering to eat at all, we should also remember to eat things that are good for us.  Eating the best that we can will help to make us feel better physically.  Going into what is cold and flu season for many areas, helping out our immune system by eating well is generally a good idea.

Am I staying hydrated?
Along with eating, something we often forget is remaining hydrated.  If you don't like plain water, there are various methods you can use to add a bit of flavour without possibly undesired additives.  If the issue is a matter of just not thinking about it, you can set yourself a timer to remind you or keep a container of water nearby so that you'll see it and remember to drink. Dehydration is not fun by any means, and can affect productivity and mood, so staying hydrated is beneficial in general.

Have I stepped or even looked outside?
When possible, I would suggest getting some fresh air and/or sunlight (the latter is a bit harder as the days get shorter in the northern hemisphere).  It gets you up and moving, and can improve your mood.  Sometimes the temperature outside can make going outside less of an option, but we can often still set ourselves up to read or craft in a sunny space to allow us to benefit from the sunlight from the comfort of our climate-controlled space. For those who are in regions that get little to no sunlight in the winter, there are lights available that can give you some of the benefits of sunlight while indoors.

So in the coming weeks, I challenge everyone to make sure that they are meeting their basic needs.  Sometimes taking it easy is just what we need. Doing everything is enticing, but if we don't take care of basic needs, then we will be unable to continue at a consistent pace and Life throwing a curveball can cause a larger setback than expected.

Take care!