MIA but still around

You might not be able to recognize me under this mask and with a new haircut, but this is me in a video studio.

I have been away from OUTSIDE THE BOX for quite some time, populating articles with pictures from the Zug Art Project to keep it moving and showing you that we are still alive.

The past weeks have been mentally and physically exhausting, to the point I could not find any creative energy to sit down and write. Ideas have not been missing! I have in the pipeline some posts around my latest shopping considerations, my gardening project, my first tentative doing home-made yoghurt...and a lot of interview questions to be sent to wonderful people around.

But it's been pointless. I did not want to feel forced writing for the unique sake of it; however a sleeping blog is a dying one.

There has been a lot of thinking going on, of course, to try understand what was wrong. And A LOT was not going well. Nothing dramatic fortunately, only the accumulation of a lot of droplets of tiredness finally filling the cup in with nostalgy and exhaustion.

I have been particularly and positively stimulated at work, allowing me to do a job that I love, working with amazing people from which I can continuously learn, and with the amazing feeling that I can make a difference. I have been enrolled in interesting trainings, and catching up with topics that demand systemic and often creative thinking in a rather traditional environment.

I have also been trying to dedicate more quality time to my family and better appreciate how time flows. And in a time of pandemic, it's been an "interesting" thing to achieve. General time flies, while hours can seem the longest sometimes when sleep deprivation hits. I have not seen my relatives and friends back home in more than 1,5 year, and I rejoice by thinking that all have remained healthy and will soon be vaccinated.

But despite all going well overall, I have found myself being continuously tired for the wrong reasons. While I should feel excited and energized by a job and a family I love, I started slowing down instead, to the point of reaching the good old "why should I care?" statement. The one making the temptation to stay in bed a little longer, a little more tempting each day. You could call it "burn-out", I would go in the direction of "nostalgy"; but the result is the same.

I panicked, realizing that I was after all not doing that good, and that it was time to give me some slack at work, at home, in my own head. I have allowed myself to get some time off. I have shopped (but responsibly), I have been pampered and had my first social interaction with strangers in a long, long time. I have started exercising again,

And the ball is now rolling again in the right direction. Baby steps to find my energy and space back. And to get back on track to nourish OUTSIDE THE BOX the way I always intended the site to be.

Hoping you are all staying mentally and physically healthy.

Be patient, keep stopping by and feel free to use the Comments section below to share some words of encouragement or inspiration!

xxx, Marie