Detox.

I'm spending holidays in the heart of the Polish countryside. The internet connection here is less than satisfactory to say the least and this prompted me to a reflection on the use of the internet.

I've read a number of articles by people who either ditched the internet completely for a prolonged period of time, or got rid off the internet from their house and only ever used it at work or when out and about.

Many claimed that they have become more thoughtful, more focused and generally felt more mentally healthy than when staying online. Some claimed that it was a tedious and not so beneficial an experiment, given that they felt isolated from normal life, which these days happens as much off- as on-line.

Before going on holidays, I've actually logged off Facebook on my phone and my laptop, so no notifications are coming through to me at the moment and I don't feel the urge to constantly scroll down my home page in search for something interesting to look at or read.

But going off the internet grid completely is not something that I am particularly keen on. I've lived for ages without Facebook account, but this was not sustainable: whether I like it or not, people do use Facebook to communicate with each other and I do want to be a part of it.

After an extensive read of different experiences of reducing internet use in one way or another, I've come up with a system that will allow me to reap the benefits, but hopefully also limit the negative effects of constant online presence.

Lo and behold, here it comes.

I liked the idea of getting rid of the internet from my house, but this is not feasible. What is actually doable is using the internet intentionally. So going on the internet with a well defined purpose, rather than freely roaming around. For instance, when I turned my laptop on to write this blog post, I knew that this is the main reason why I'm online. I also knew that I had to buy a few specific bits on ebay and check a few pieces of information. I've even produced a hand-written list of things that I want to do when I get a chance to be online. So being online has become something that I need to make the time for, rather than the default mode.

It's so easy to just reach for your phone these days and start aimlessly go through page after page of stuff that does not really enrich your life in any way. Instead, I finally have a chance to read newspapers, think about stuff, appreciate the nature and make the most of the time with my family. I do rely on the internet in many respects, Google Maps are extremely convenient for instance when you need to find the way quickly or when you need to find the nearest cafe serving crepes, but other than that I'm trying to take over the reigns of my internet use.

Once I'm back at work, I plan to have clearly defined times of internet use. No more binge watching Netflix shows or looking at shoes I'll never buy anyway. Instead, a defined slot of time with defined tasks to accomplish.

You might think that this is unduly restrictive, but the fact of the matter is that humans are wired to have restrictions. Our brains love structure. And this will provide me with a structure to get things done efficiently. I also hope that this little experiment of mine will also free up some space in my brain to do some proper thinking and really excel at what I'm doing. 

In any case, I treat this more or less forceful internet detox as a blessing. No, I can't have proper Skype conversation with Mr Magic, and no, I cannot watch even most enriching YouTube videos without constant interruption, but I read a lot, go on walks with my dog and appreciate the surroundings, which is impossible with out face stuck to the screen.

Don't fret, though, I'll be back next week, hopefully with some pictures of the beautiful Polish countryside.

I leave you with this quote from Gretchen Rubin:

Turn off your email; turn off your phone; disconnect from the Internet; figure out a way to set limits so you can concentrate when you need to, and disengage when you need to. Technology is a good servant but a bad master.

Finally reading for pleasure only !!!

For various complicated reasons I had to shut down my blog a few months ago, but here I come again, with slightly changed address, different background picture and a different colour scheme. Truly exciting times.

I've been out and about recently, collecting beautiful memories, taking ridiculous number of pictures and acquiring random items to remind me of all those places. When I was not out and about, I indulged myself in binge-watching Big Bang Theory, random art projects and solving logic puzzles. I'm also proud to announce that I'm about to finish reading Anna Karenina. I had my first go at reading this book when I was at first year at uni and since then I've made four attempts at it. This time, using my generous teacher holidays, I persevered till the end, despite extremely dull parts dwellings on agricultural theory of 19th century Russia. I still have War and Peace waiting on the window-sill, but I think it will need to wait until next summer (or summer after next): I'm not sure I'll be able to take such a big book again any time soon.

On the note of reading, I have to say that being busy all year with planning lessons, reading about education, marking and doing all the adulting stuff, I've forgot how enjoyable reading fiction (and not only), but most importantly reading exclusively for pleasure was. 

I've been devouring book after book recently. I've read The Shepherd's Crown by my beloved Terry Pratchett, Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, then moved on to two randomly chosen books which turned out surprisingly enjoyable (The Knot by Mark Watson and The Truth by Michael Palin) and now with Anna Karenina almost finished, I'm moving away from fiction to Cal Newport's Deep work.

Now, that last book is a choice that was born through listening to some really interesting podcasts. The series is called You 2.0 and it really got me thinking about how I work and what I can do to make my work easier, more enjoyable and at the same time more efficient. You can listen to the podcasts here, I really do recommend them. I will probably write on the topic of reinventing yourself for a fuller life soon.

I'm glad I'm back on here now, I need a vent somewhere to release all those unruly thoughts that inevitably cloud my head, especially now that I have both time and headspace to do a lot of deep thinking. So brace yourself for a jolly good ride with me!

Till then!

Seven-hour ordeal.

I'm writing this having just woken up from almost a seven-hour migraine ordeal.

I've suffered from migraines from an early age, I think I must have been around 12 when I started getting migraines. Apparently I've had a doubtful pleasure of inheriting it from the female members of my family. And so for over ten years now, I have a recurring experience of what my mum describes as "a headaches that make your eyes stick to the back of your head". It doesn't sound particularly nice, does it?

People who don't get migraines cannot really understand how debilitating the pain is. It's not a normal headache that you can treat with plenty of water and paracetamol. I'm always annoyed at people advising me to 'take something for it'. I freaking DID, but migraines are such that they are super resistant towards painkillers.

I terms of migraine remedies I tried pretty much everything, from lying down on cold bathroom tiles, through ice packs, cold and hot showers, baths, drinking water, sleeping in a dark room, to all sort of preventive and ad hoc medications. I'm at the point that I slowly come to terms with the pain as simply a part of my life, but I still have days when I'm simply in tears, asking myself why I need to go through all of this.

Not only is the pain unbearable, but the migraine actually interferes with your whole life. You can't eat, walk, read, exercise, cook. What is left is just sleep, or trying to get to sleep. Hence you miss a lot of days of work and study, while you'd really rather get on with your life.

There is currently no cure for migraine, but I am hopeful. I've been on preventive medicine for a while now and it seems to be working in general, I definitely have less migraines than before. My migraine tracker (yes, it's a thing, and is really helpful) says that I went on for over a month without a migraine which is a good score for me. But I'm waiting for the future without migraines. When I won't need to worry if I wake up to a terrible pain or not.

In the meantime, I just need to be reasonable about everything I do and think about what I eat and when, how much sleep I get and whether I'm becoming too stressed or not. It's a lot to think about when you're go about your normal life. But that's the only way for now.

Walking.

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Every time I go for a walk I discover yet another thing to think about before my big walk, which is TOMORROW. I've sorted out my boots, socks, leggings and a raincoat.

I bought a backpack with a bladder, which is like a water pouch with a long flexible straw. I've been walking with a water bottle so far, and reaching into a backpack every single time I need a drink (and it is rather often, I'm a thirsty person) is just not convenient at all. I've opted for 18L backpack, seems like an optimum capacity for the day. It holds my 2L bladder, a raincoat and a stash of food for the day.

It might not be the fancier backpack out there, and the packing solution is not the most efficient, but it will do, and I've grabbed it in TKMaxx for £20, so cheap and cheerful ;) But I'll probably upgrade to something better in summer.

Food planning is a complicated aspect of the day's logistics. My favourite snack is peanut butter and cucumber sandwiches: the nut butters gives good energy and the cucumber is refreshing. Dried apricots are a must, plus a high protein bar. Don't forget a banana. The worse possible thing that could happen is that I RUN OUT OF FOOD. That would  be simply tragic. So most of my backpack's weight will be snacks to get me through those 26.5 miles.

We're supposed to have perfect weather tomorrow, so I'm packing sun cream as well. I burn so easily that the whole day in sun without protection would be simply silly. At least it's not supposed to rain, it would be so grim to walk in the rain.

Last but not least, I'm packing a battery pack in case my phone runs out of power before the end of the day.

Tomorrow the day starts after 5am, because I need to pick a few people up from around Newport before making our way to the start of the walk. I'm not sure how I'll survive 14 hours that will follow, but let's hope for the best. I think I'll be too excited to think about the tiredness. 

I'll be posting walk updates tomorrow, so watch out for those on my Facebook page!