The Gratitude Division - October 2023

October has been a glorious month here in Edmonton, Alberta! Bright sunny days, cool nights that don't quite get below zero... it's resulted in some of the best fall foliage that I've ever seen in this province. As someone who grew up further east than here, where the fall colours are spectacular every year, I have really appreciated the fantastic weather and colours we've been having. It's given me serious nostalgia vibes as I crunched my way through piles of leaves on the sidewalk. As I write this, we've now had our first snowfall of the year and I'm trying to appreciate how lovely that weather can be as well, but nothing will beat the joy of a warm day followed by a cool night in my books.

No filter - just mother nature!

There's a lot to be grateful for this month, so The Gratitude Division practically writes itself! In addition to the beautiful weather and spectacular fall colours, it's also been OT month! One of the things that I've been mindful of, as I've been sharing more about this profession that I love, is that not everyone has access to occupational therapy services. Part of that is because of a lack of awareness - and I hope that I've done my small part this year to help change that. But another part has to do with access to funding for OT services! It's a huge barrier for many people who cannot afford to pay out of pocket. Some extended benefits do have coverage, but not all; those that do often have woefully little coverage. I'm hoping that this will continue to change over time, because occupational therapists are really good at seeing and treating the whole person rather than just the individual parts or problems. Because people are complicated, the OT holistic perspective is often more effective! So, if you're interested in advocating for more and better access to funding for OT services, please check out this link to the Canadian Association for Occupational Therapists' page on resources and steps that you can take.

Here are some other things I've been grateful for this month... which also happen to be some of the occupations that make my life meaningful!

A show I watched... Silo

This show on AppleTV was amazing. The story, the acting, the costume design, the direction... from start to finish it was an immersive experience that had me invested and wanting to know more. As the layers continued to peel back, it made me even more curious - every answer seemed to lead to three more questions. I look forward to season two! Now, I know that this show is also a series of books (the Wool omnibus - I have it on my Kobo) so I'm curious to hear from anyone who has both read the books and seen the show. How does it measure up? Should I read the books now, before season 2, or should I wait until afterward for maximum enjoyment? Either way, I can't await to see where the story goes from here.

You might be wondering what makes watching a TV show "meaningful occupation" - it's time with my husband. We have different tastes in quite a bit of the media we watch, but once a month we'll pick a series that we both want to see and we'll be intentional about watching it together. We watch an episode or two each night. We'll pause the show when dramatic events happen and debrief. We'll talk about our theories of what's to come while we eat dinner together. Watching a show with my husband becomes a point of shared connection and, because we don't watch a lot of shows together, it feels like a fun date. And this show, Silo, was particularly good.

Time with Friends playing the Alien RPG

This is the moment where I reveal myself to be a big sci-fi fan and an even bigger nerd. Sometimes people are surprised by these facts about me - perhaps I don't look the part or people think I'm too old? But I am proudly and unapologetically a fan of role playing games (RPGs) in all their incarnations. My current favourite is one that I get to play with a group of five friends on a virtual table-top; we get together for an evening once per month to play and take a break over the summer months when everyone is busy. So, this month is when we started our next "season", so to speak. We are playing the Alien RPG by Free League publishing - it has quickly become my favourite system for how easy it is to learn the rules and how great the mechanics are for telling a good story. You see, in my opinion, games like this are best when they become a shared, collective, story-telling experience - and this system is great at facilitating that narrative, while introducing enough chaos that no one can ever be entirely sure of the outcome. Plus, I just really love playing with my friends - and this group of humans is pretty awesome. I'm really grateful that we've gotten started again!

Lifting heavy weights at the gym!

I mentioned in a recent post that I recently joined a gym, after having been away from the gym life for about a year. I debated for quite a while about doing so - there are many times in my life that I've paid for memberships that I didn't use and I didn't want to get stuck in that cycle again. I also have a little bit of social anxiety going to gyms because, well... have you seen gym TikTok? But ultimately I realized that my physical health and longevity are far more important to me than that minor discomfort and I decided to get back into it. After all, there is no perfect time to do anything, other than right now. And if I have trouble with consistency, then that's a problem to solve, not a moral failing.

So I joined a gym and I've paid for a few sessions with a trainer to help me set up a strength program. The first time I was so nervous, until I picked up the barbell and did that first set of front-squats. I'd forgotten how much I LOVE lifting heavy weights!! It makes me feel so powerful. In that moment, I lost any feelings of self-consciousness I'd had and just really enjoyed the workout.

So, I'm grateful that I pushed myself to overcome the negative self-talk that was keeping me away from the gym. And I'm grateful for the trainer who encouraged me to lift heavier than I thought I could. It's feels really good to test the limits of your own comfort zone in service of an important goal and to find a support system that encourages you to push a little more. It's the best way to grow! And that applies equally well to muscle growth as it does to your growth as a human.

I hope that October has also treated you well! 

What are you grateful for these days? Tell me in the comments or send me an email! My contact information is on my webpage, Calder Mental Health Services.