9 minute read
We All Need a Day Off Even Our Children
from FF June 2022
by Forsyth Mags
BY GENEVIEVE CONDON
We live in a society where we are told we have to hustle and work ourselves into the ground in order to be successful. Days off are for the weak. And work-life balance? It’s more about survival. Balance doesn’t exist.
Advertisement
We live for the weekend, rushing through our workdays, burning ourselves out to prove that we can work harder than the next person. I am guilty of this mentality. I spent the greater part of my 20s working long hours, multiple jobs, and virtually getting nowhere.
I wouldn’t sleep. I’d forget to eat, rushing from one job to another. Late nights focusing on projects that could have waited until the next morning in order to get it done ahead of time to prove I was worthy.
I stopped doing it.
My daughter would look up at me with her big blue eyes asking if I had time to play a game with her as she watched me click away on the computer, focused on something other than her. I now teach my daughter that mental health days are important. Even as a child. That family is invaluable, and time—you won’t ever get it back.
I work hard. Don’t get me wrong. I get my tasks done, go above and beyond, but learned over the years that risking my own health, both mentally and physically, missing my children’s school functions, forgoing date nights—none of that was worth fitting into this hustle culture. I let my daughter take a day off. We go shopping, get our nails done, sometimes just cuddle up on the couch eating junk food and watching movies. We recharge. Spend time together, and, more importantly,
Stop.
Breathe.
Reset.
Do I get looks when I am walking Target with my daughter on a random Tuesday? Yup! People often ask if she’s home sick and I quickly reply with a “Nope! Mental Health Day!” up happier, livelier, and continues to rock at this thing called life. She gets good grades. Makes good choices and is happy.
That’s all I ever wanted when working long hours. Hustling. Was to make sure my daughter was happy. But things don’t truly matter. It’s time. Time together. Playing that game. Walking Target. That’s what matters.
Just as we struggle with finding balance as adults, children face the same. We often think they have it so easy, but navigating expectations, school, friends—it’s a lot for a child. They deserve a day off just as much as we do.
For me, thankfully I work for a company that offers unlimited PTO, two mental health days quarterly, no meeting Wednesdays and a plethora of other initiatives to ensure we don’t overwork ourselves. I hope that by the time my daughter finds her career, that focusing on mental health for employees is embedded in all workplace cultures, and not an anomaly.
But for now, I’ll continue to give her days off and enjoy the time we get to spend together.
We Can’t Wait to Meet You
Novant Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine experts provide what you need, when you need it. Novant Ortho Get back to doing what you love with less pain. Our orthopedic and sports medicine specialists are more accessible with care that’s easier and faster than ever. You can choose from three convenient locations. Our specialists are available for consultations as soon as the same day. Because when it comes to your bones, joints and muscles, pain can’t wait.
200 Robinhood Medical Plaza Winston-Salem, NC 27106 336-718-7950
7210 Village Medical Circle Suite 110 Clemmons, NC 27012 336-893-2400
King Medical Building 167 Moore Road Suite 202 King, NC 27021 336-673-6500
SUB-SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
Sports medicine (shoulder and knee)
Musculoskeletal oncology
Joint reconstruction (hip/knee/shoulder)
Pediatrics
Hand, wrist and elbow
Hip preservation
Foot and ankle
Orthopedic trauma
No need to be in pain one minute longer. Book now. Novanthealth.org/OrthoNow
Beach-bound this summer and looking for ways to get artsy and crafty with seashells? If you can’t get to the beach this summer, head to the craft store instead. Gather your materials, invite some friends over, put on some beachy, ocean-inspired music, and get creative with those seashells!
Creative crafts ideas include jewelry, ornaments, key chains, mosaics, a treasure box, stationary and greeting cards, sculpture and home décor, candles, and more.
Upside benefits from a day of seashell art therapy?
You’ll end up with plenty of beautiful mementos that make ideal gifts. Consider donating some as gifts to support those with cancer, veterans, or kids with diverse abilities to brighten their day and sweeten their summer. And, you’ll keep the kids busy (at least as long as their short attention spans allow).
ADD AMBIANCE
Fill glass Mason jars about one-quarter full of sand, then arrange shells on top and add a candle. Tie a hemp, jute, or raffia bow around the top and dangle little charms and/or shells. KISS (keep it simple, sweetie), or decorate more ornately by painting some waves at the bottom, sun or clouds at the top, and gluing on confetti, rhinestones, and/or glitter.
Clamshells can add ambiance, too. They can hold small tealights, can turn into soap dishes, and can display your jewelry.
PASSION FOR PAINTING
Pick your color palette, like blue hues, sunrise and sunset colors, or shimmery metallic silvers and golds.
Use a large flat, rectangular brush, and turn your canvas widthwise for a horizontal sea or skyscape.
Dilute slightly with water and brush paint onto the canvas with horizontal brushstrokes. Experiment with blending colors or with layering them. When dry, you can use a round or fan-shaped brush to create clouds or waves with a lighter color like white, silver, or gold. When satisfied, let dry, and glue on seashells. And, while you’ve got your paints out, why not let each seashell be a canvas ready for embellishment?
DECORATION AND ORNAMENTATION
• Pretty-up a picture frame by gluing on seashells. Add mini-pearls as a perfect pairing.
• Glue seashells around a wreath or circular structure. Make a loop with hemp, jute, or raffia to hang your seashell wreath. • Loop and knot hemp, jute, or raffia around seashells and drape from a long piece of twine for a garland that’s both wearable and decorative. More into mobiles?
Counterbalance a piece of driftwood and dangle seashells for a wind-chime effect.
• Drill small holes with a Dremel and hang strands of seashells with twine, ribbon, or yarn. Pretty them up with tinier seashells glued onto larger seashells and add pearls and rhinestones.
• Coat Christmas ball ornaments with a thin layer of glue and roll in sand. Then, glue seashells on the sandy layer.
ACCESSORIZE WITH WEARABLES
• Use a glue gun to adhere seashells onto a belt or get crafty with your Converse and glue on some tiny seashells. • For mermaid vibes with seashell wearables, glue seashells onto hair clips, bobby pins, and barrettes. These pair perfectly with your beach waves (braid wet hair and let it air dry naturally).
SURF’S UP DUDETTE. . . DIY SEA SALT TEXTURIZING HAIR SPRAY
Soak up all that sun with some sea salt texturizing air spray. No need to buy it when you can DIY your own sea salt hair spray for better beach waves that will be free of all chemicals. It’s easy! Just dissolve 1 tablespoon of sea salt in one cup of warm water, add to a spray bottle, shake and spray. Personalize this basic recipe and add ingredients tailored to your own hair. Try chamomile tea instead of warm water and add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to bring out blond highlights. If your hair is dry, add a teaspoon of a plant-based oil, like argan or almond oil for moisturizing, and to add shine. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, like lavender, rosemary, or citrus for an aromatherapy experience. Shake well and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 months.
Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness
On Wednesday, April 27th, Senior Services broke ground on its new Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, with more than 200 community leaders, elected officials, volunteers, collaborators, donors and friends in attendance.
The groundbreaking event launched what will be an estimated 14-month construction timeline to build a 61,000-square-foot Intergenerational Center for Arts & Wellness for adults with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss. At the Center, Senior Services will provide activities, programming and collaborative endeavors with a proven ability to stimulate and benefit senior adults, such as intergenerational programming with organizations who serve other age groups and art and creativity-based initiatives. The new center will be built on property owned by Senior Services, adjacent to its headquarters on Shorefair Drive.
Through this project, Senior Services seeks to address local community needs and increase its positive impact on the surrounding neighborhood, the City of Winston Salem and Forsyth County, focused on their core mission of serving older adults through an innovative arts-based intergenerational approach. Overall goals of the new Intergenerational Center are as follows:
• Provide a new, expanded home to serve the anticipated future demand at their award-winning Elizabeth and Tab Williams
Adult Day Center.
• Serve the social-emotional and educational needs of seniors by offering intergenerational programming and classes for older adults, through collaborations with other well-established community organizations.
• Offer a creativity-based approach to programming for older adults, with resident artists to work with the participants at the site. Programmatic space will be designed to maximize the impact on the lives of older adults, building on people’s inherent creativity and maximizing opportunity for connection, engagement and community collaboration.
• Provide wellness services through focus on exercise and physical activity, recreational activity, healthcare and nutrition services, as well as physical, occupational and emotional therapy.
In addition to serving as the new home for the Elizabeth and Tab Williams Adult Day Center, there are a number of collaborating organizations that will also occupy dedicated space in the new Center, including Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention, Family Services (child development center), HandsOn NWNC, Hispanic League, Novant Health, Sawtooth School for Visual Art, Second Harvest’s Providence and Winston-Salem State University Health Sciences. Organizations using shared spaces include Senior Services Senior Lunch nutrition program, Arts Council of Winston-Salem, Cancer Services, 40+ Stage Company, Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, IMPROVment and the Winston-Salem Symphony.
For more information on this transformative project, visit ccc.seniorservicesinc.org.
