The rough guide to surviving long shifts at work.

I'm working over the weekend which I guess is ok, because I love my job. There is however a weensy smidgen of envy watching everyone leisurely get up knowing I'll be at work in x amount of hours and will be there until late o'clock.

I've therefore devised a rough little guide to help you get through working long hours should you find yourself in a similar situation. Work doesn't need to be like ground hog day, small positives can really break up the hours. 

Oddly enough I'm also finding shifts are really helping me be super organised, noticed how regular my posts are recently?! Now that I have to prioritize tasks and savor my spare time, I'm finding I'm a lot better at stopping the annoying little jobs from becoming big chores. 

Drink Tea.

I don't have set break patterns so making a cup of tea has become my few minutes of calm. Whether its a caffeine option or herbal the time it takes for the kettle to boil will give you a moments head space. Enjoy it, savor the warm mug in your hands, the small sips and the feeling of bliss as you sit down and appreciate a good brew! 

Exercise.

I know, I know its annoying having someone enthusiastically suggest exercise before a twelve hour shift but trust me it works. As little as twenty five minutes of cardio will not only help keep that super gorgeous surfer body toned, it will also seriously help concentration. That and if you've any 'drama' in your life there's nothing like a bit of sweat to leech the annoyance out of you! 

Eat well.

Its so simple but its so true! Your body is a beautiful biological machine and the stuff you put in it directly affects the output. Fill it with rubbish and you will feel rubbish. On my long shifts I like to prepare loads of nice little healthy treats throughout the day to keep my going when my energy flags. I'm no saint so if there's a treat to be had (which there inevitably is working in a care home) I don't deny myself, as my ma says everything in moderation. 

Meditate.

A well known Buddhist scholar whose name I really should remember said as little as ten minutes meditation a day can really make a difference to your outlook. Find a quiet corner, close your eyes and start concentrating on your breath! Sometimes simply regulating your breathing can help work through frustrations and stop you making harmful remarks to colleagues or doing a poor job.

The playlist.

As the enigmatic Bob Marley once said; 

'When music hits you feel no pain,' 

Having a playlist on in the background when your heading to work can really get your sh!t together and keep you motivated. Here's this weeks playlist for you. Listen and love :) 

1. Fidlar - Max Can't Surf 

2. Skrillex & Damian Jr. Gong Marley - Make it Bun Dem 

(If you want to procrastinate watch this video. AMAZING). 

3. The Bots - I like your style 

(these kids are so cute which is probably not what their going for but seriously so talented and so young)!  

4. Macklemore - Thrift shop (someone followed me round and  

   recorded every rant I've ever had about main stream stores)! 

5. Everything, Everything - Cough, Cough

6. Pearl Jam - Fixer

7. Ida Maria - I like you so much better when your naked 

8. Max Graham Vs Yes - Owner of a lonely heart 

   (so wrong its right). 

9. Zap Mama - Rafiki  (<3 Zap Mama) 

10. Lauren Aquilina - Fools (This girls 17 and AMAZING). 

Have a plan.

Last but not least its good to have a plan, something your working towards when that shift just won't end. For me its always when my next surf trip is going to be and where - I like to think of every shift as one wage packet closer to realizing my dreams. At the end of the day work is a means to afford to do the things you like so enjoy the process! 

Find positive moments in your day, small things which make you smile, be pleasant, be kind and above all remember you won't be on shift forever! 

Stay strong, surf well 

X 

Show & Tell.

Show. 

Listening non stop to Zap Mama - Brrrlak!  

I'd like to take the opportunity to show you some of the art work I've been doing lately. I've started incessantly drawing African tribal women which makes me think I'll end up on the continent sometime soon. Africa makes me feral, even though I'm as English as it comes, there's something about the place which always feels like I'm going home. I wish I could explain it better than that but Africa its a feeling, an energy. I guess your just going to have to go to see for yourself! 

   



































These are incomplete and preliminary sketches for a bigger piece I'd like to do, but you can see where I'm going with this! Below are some marine ink sketches I've been doing for some surf pieces I'd like to try and do also. 

Tell.

So anyway let me tell you about my day. 

Quite unusually I found myself off on a Monday, a strange situation to find oneself in when practically everyone else I know is busy off to work. I got up feeling guilty as most other instances of been off on a Monday has been due to unemployment. By my last mouthful of Ready Brek I was starting to panic - my time is sacred, I must do something, I can't be bored, please don't let me waste this day! What on earth am I going to do? There's no one to hang out with until later - Gah! Suddenly my Monday seemed like a barren and boredom filled wasteland. 

So I did what I always do when I have things to mull over, I threw on some old clothes, grabbed the dog and took said reluctant jack russell for a walk over the canals. I purposefully left my music player at home, today I wanted to hear the birds and connect a little with my immediate environment. It did the trick and by the end of the walk I had found solace. 
I decided you know what it's time for a 'me' day! 

So I went to the cinema - by myself. Its such an alien concept to walk into a cinema and ask for one ticket and you cant help but feel a little bit sad when you do so. I had to stop myself from giving the cashier girl my entire life history and an explanation as to why I was at the cinemas on a Monday afternoon by myself. Once you get over the initial feeling of having a giant neon arrow over your head you actually start to enjoy yourself. 

Solo cinema trips are one of my guilty pleasures, if I go to the cinemas with someone else I usually want to talk to them or if I'm being perfectly honest make out (ahem)! So it was kind of awesome to go and actually appreciate the film I was watching ('I give it a year' but more about that later)! 

Afterwards I went to a coffee shop where I started composing this blog post. Coffee shops are my ULTIMATE guilty pleasure, I love sitting nursing a soy cappuccino watching the world go by. Its a habit I developed in childhood, me and my dad who most often than not were left bored and waiting for my mom and sisters to finish shopping, would go find a bench to people watch from (neither me nor my dad relish shopping). It was our time to bond I guess.

I finished the day rock climbing with a friend and whilst it was awesome to have a catch up I've enjoyed immensely having time to myself. I think all too often we're afraid to be alone, to have time to reflect and be bored but this is where our curiosity lives in the moments where we are forced into contemplation. I can admit to always wanting to be busy and purposeful but sometimes its good to be the complete opposite of that. I often find myself wishing for these empty days of endless possibility, especially when I dream of living by the sea - imagine being able to go for a cheeky surf session and having all day to do so! 

So anyway. 

The film I watched was a little British number called 

'I Give It A Year' 

It fits into the romcom genre with some pretty cringe worthy parts but is totally not what you expect. I really enjoyed it and you find yourself rooting for the characters you didn't think you'd like! 

I reckon that in the aftermath of a breakup its expected I find comfort in slush like said film, which I suppose is somewhat ironic because its probably the exact opposite of what you need. I don't want to talk too candidly about my relationship but I do wish to be honest. Other than missing the person I think its the companionship I miss the most. You become someone's friend and hearing about their day becomes a feature of your own. I find myself wanting to tell my ex things, insignificant things and have to remind myself he probably doesn't need a monologue of my everyday observations!! 

I think all things considered we broke up pretty well, we're civil, friendly and very kind to each other if that makes any sense. I don't know if in the long run that makes things harder but I appreciate that we're both trying to be gracious. I think its pretty obvious I miss him, that's normal, but like the initial anxiety felt of going to the cinema by yourself, you have to try and embrace being alone because you might just learn a few things. I'm lucky that I loved at all and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat - love makes a person. 

Well that's enough rambling for one night. 

Stay Strong and Surf well! 

X