It’s September. Welcome to the Grind, and Also Its Antidotes
Welcome to the grind.
September is the time of year when the wine industry is full-on, in so many ways. Harvest. Wine club runs. Holiday planning. And, in many parts of the world, managing tragic or bizarre weather events at critical points in wine’s annual cycle.
It’s also the time of year when wine professionals are full-on in our personal lives too. Back to school. Sport activities. Local festivals. And weekend gatherings with friends.
Whew. Grateful as we are for full, active lives, sometimes abundance can be a little too abundant.
Which brings us to the grind of September. With so much (so very much) going on, how do we stay mindful? When the work of our lives is both repetitive (hello, harvest) and demanding, how do we continually bring our full selves to the task, again and again?
You could probably anticipate some suggestions I would make here. Slow down. Practice breathwork. Prioritize self-care. Meditate, even for a few minutes. Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
Those are four time-tested and heroic techniques to help us survive the grind. Beck and I have written about them, often and in detail, many times here on ABG.
This year, I’d like to offer a few suggestions in addition, to help us all manage the grind of September. They are quirky and unorthodox. But, in a season like this, I think it’s time to mix things up. Keep reading for the reasons why.
Look Up at Night
For the next thirty days or so, take a few moments at night to look up and find the moon. Notice its shape. Learn when it waxes and wanes. Follow a moon phase calendar if it helps. This is the perfect weekend to start, since we’ll see the gorgeous full moon on Saturday, September 10. After that, the moon will wane. I see it as turning a knob, like turning down the volume. At nighttime, at the end of the day, that is exactly what I need. Ssshhhh.
Read the Sunday Newspaper. The Print Version.
The New York Times does it for me. Maybe it’s a throwback to when I delivered the morning newspapers as a kid, but the feel of a print newspaper on my fingers is a grounding and familiar comfort. Even more than that, though, paging through the paper and pausing to read what catches our eye is, I think, one of the happiest stimulations. There are ideas here, in full view! There is the hard work of professional writers. There are book reviews, and profiles of dancers, and glimpses inside a Mexican studio of an artist whose medium is cotton. (Cotton!) These are inspirations in the best sense of fresh breaths of air. It rejuvenates. Which is another way of saying “antidote to the grind.”
The Anchor of a Single Stem
It could be a single stem of a flower, or an herb, or even a branch of something from your yard. Hold it upright, as in a vase, and put it someplace visible, where you’ll see it every day and ideally multiple times a day. At your kitchen sink, for example, or your desk or in the cup holder of your car. It’s amazing to me how a single, delicate stem of a flower could be such an anchor.
Do you see the common thread here?
Each of these three suggestions are about a focused activity, about doing one thing at a time. That is, I think, the secret to managing the September grind and surviving the overwhelm of this season. Rather than “do everything,” do this one thing. Then do the next one thing. Then take a break. Then do the next one thing. Take a break. And so on.
The focus of “this one thing” – even while taking a break -- tampers down the multi-sensory onslaught we typically experience during our days. It also helps to ward off the emotional and adrenal exhaustion that makes September feel like a grind in the first place.
Antidotes to the grind. That is my hope for you this week. Please let me know how it goes.
Namaste,
Cathy
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
Has Everyone Stopped Drinking? By Tamar Adler in British Vogue
Over the last year, dozens of my former cocktailers-in-arms have leaped onto the wagon for insufferably sensible aims like preserving their marriages or their health – or at least for an extended annual reset.
What's brown noise, and why does noise generally help some people fall asleep? By Gemma Paech and Gorica Micic for ABG Australia
Insomnia and insufficient sleep are common. So it's no wonder many people are looking for ways to improve their sleep. But can brown noise help? And what is brown noise anyway?
Work, Play, Rest - Part 3 : TED Radio Hour, on NPR.org
Rest is so much more than just a good night's sleep. From human hibernation to ASMR to the science of dreams, we explore how to nourish our minds and bodies with different forms of rest.
4 Ways Noticing What’s Present Can Boost Gratitude, by Kelly Barron on Mindful.org
Here are four ways to practice gratitude. Explore these quick reflections as ways to bring more awareness of gratitude to any moment.
Depression, anxiety may escalate chances of long COVID, says study, by Nicole Rura for the Harvard Gazette
Depression, anxiety, worry, perceived stress, and loneliness measured before infection with COVID-19 were associated with up to 45 percent increased risk of developing long COVID.
