Revitalize with Simple Work

Often, the daily grind has a way of grinding us down. With work, kids and never-ending to-do lists, we’re so busy that when we do get a precious moment of quiet, we often feel like we’ve forgotten how to embrace unbridled freedom. And so we tend to turn to technology for much-needed relaxation. Televisions, telephones, the Internet and e-mail have become our “comfort” zones. But the truth is, technological time-outs can be more taxing than relaxing, leaving us unfulfilled and even more scattered. I’m no exception. My spare moments are few and far between, but when one surprises me, it’s hard to stop my head from spinning. I’ve never been big on television, but it takes discipline to disconnect from my laptop! The trick I use to wind down and get grounded again is simple hands-on work. I credit my mother for teaching me this vital life skill. Back in the day, I remember watching Mom’s steady hands as she knitted, folded, kneaded and scrubbed. These were the tasks that needed to be done in order to keep a home running smoothly, but she was rarely harried, and stress was just a kink that was worked out by hand. Today, we can still unwind by unplugging and putting our hands to good use. There’s something about completing straightforward tasks with concrete results that changes brain chemistry for the better. By dedicating full focus to detail and making each movement a meditation, women like me are discovering that we can stitch away stress, mop up life’s grit, and just hang the hustle-and-bustle out to dry. So shut off the television, the computer and the chaos, and get ready to recharge. Here are some down-to-earth ideas from the women on my Web site chatroom (www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz) who are finding renewed vitality in life’s simplest tasks. Clean Up to Calm Down “Organizing is therapeutic. It calms you down and reassures you that you have control over something. This has been so true for me. First, I organized my kitchen pantry. It gave me so much pleasure when I finished that I found myself visiting it just to look at my work! It was like I had one safe haven to come to where everything looked just right, and I felt calm and pleased with myself. Since then, I have made organization a regular practice. When I have a puzzle in life to figure out, I start taking drawers apart, throwing things out and straightening up. It is a form of meditation for me.” — Diane, Pennsylvania Iron It Out “I think there is nothing so relaxing as warming up the iron in the evening, putting on some mellow music and just ironing. I like that I don’t have to think, I can just let my mind wander as I make the same motions over and over, back and forth, back and forth.” — Alison, Manitoba Mend Loose Ends “In this age of disposable everything, does anyone else still take the time to mend clothing? I do, and I find it very pleasurable and satisfying to bring something back to life, so to speak, to make it functional again.” — Clare, Washington Hang Out “Hanging out laundry provides a wonderful time to meditate, listen to country sounds, smell the country smells, feel the breeze in my hair, and build a bridge backward in time to the women who worked our farm in ages past. I set my wicker laundry basket down on a small farm bench so I don’t have to keep bending over to pull out the next thing to hang up. When I’m done, I take the bench over to an Adirondack chair under a nearby shade tree to serve as a place to set my lemonade for a well-deserved break.” — Mara, Virginia Build Energy “I’ve learned to build my own chicken coop, put up my own fencing, put in my garden, replace torn screens and broken glass — the list is endless. I never would have thought I could do it myself, but necessity is, indeed, the mother of invention. I feel energized and liberated.” — Susan, New York Sew Away Stress “I am a seamstress, somewhat of a beginner, and I LOVE to sew clothing for women and children. It can be such a labor of love at times, and I find it so fun and therapeutic.” — Julia, Washington Dirt Decompression “I realize this is not for everybody, but when I am cranky or stressed I like to get on the backhoe and ‘hurt some dirt’! I swear I should rent that thing out by the hour!” — Lily, California