Mental Health Awareness Month – Reflections in images (Part 1)
After a long break, I am sharing some pictures from the end of last year. It’s mid-May, I know. Life got in the way. Or rather I chose to prioritise other areas of my life. My work, my new house, my health (at least I try). And then there were all the things outside of my control that happened.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Taking the time to work on my pictures was a way for me to do something which is both rewarding and relaxing.
I always take pictures. Whatever happens in my life. It’s a joyful act for me. Let me share some of them with you. Maybe you will find peace in them too and the space to reflect. To stop, to feel, to breathe.
Capturing nature, connecting with yourself
Image by Eleanor Smith
This was taken in a little park near where I grew up in Strasbourg. I was there for Christmas last year, my first international travel in almost two years. I went for many walks and runs there during my one-week stay.
Image by Eleanor Smith
This is the wall that separates the park from the graveyard. I liked the plants growing up the wall as though to cross over to the other side. The bare trees stand aligned, like soldiers, waiting on the other side.
Image by Eleanor Smith
Water is enchanting when you see it through a camera lens. Black and white photography makes the watery scene even more magical.
Image by Eleanor Smith
Here I played with contrast and vibrance to bring out the reflection of the tree in the water. It gave the picture more depth and made it more striking to the eye.
Image by Eleanor Smith
Winter is not without its beauty even when plants are in slumber. I had a hard time getting a clean shot as these delicate, bare branches blew in the cold breeze.
Image by Eleanor Smith
Now we move to a nearby village, Mittelbergheim, where I went for a gentle stroll among the vines.
Image by Eleanor Smith
A typical Alsatian style house with timber framing. Its elegant posture and defining wooden beams caught my eye. These houses remind me of home, and I can smell the local specialities, such as la tarte flambée or flammekueche. This is after all where I grew up.
Looking back to better move forward
Now, fast forward to May 2022, for those of you who are still here.
Spending time going through pictures from the past, even just a few months ago, invites reflection. You need to sit down and focus. When I take the time to do this, I feel that I have spent my time well. That I have something to show for it too. It’s a welcome break from a life that can feel overwhelming and exhausting.
I am in Bergen and the sun is shining on the day before our national day, Constitution Day, or 17. mai, as we call it here. And I am taking some time to reflect on how the year has gone so far. Why I have been absent from my blog and why I have not published photos on my Flickr account.
Buying a house
In February, we bought a house in the countryside and moved in within a month. That’s how this year started.
This is the biggest change in my life since I first moved to Norway in 2014. Eight years have gone by and in that time, I have moved four times. It was about time for a more permanent living situation.
For someone who had never owned property before, this was a big step. After over two years of COVID-19 and a lot of home office, I joined a growing community of people moving out of the city.
In all fairness, I have long wanted a different lifestyle. This was finally the right time to take a step in the right direction. A big step. I now have the space, my own full-size office with a meditation space and a south-facing balcony. I have a huge garden and a beautiful view. Nature is nearby. I feel better at home.
As you know by now, I was grateful for the flexibility and freedom that I experienced with full-time home office during the pandemic. Even when I started going to the office once or twice a week, I still felt that I had a good balance. I went in when it made sense for me in terms of my work and to meet colleagues.
I get more energy from being in charge of my day and being in a peaceful environment. I manage to create the space for deep work and high focus activities. Although at times possible in the office, it is rare due to the constant distractions.
Image by Eleanor Smith
This was taken a few minutes from my new house. There is a foot and cycle path right outside my house, which goes around a big lake. It is perfect for a quick stroll at lunchtime.
An invitation to reflect on “going back to normal”
Within a few days of moving into my house, the home office arrangement was cancelled. Instead of a new normal, which I had gotten used to, it was back to an old normal, which does not suit me. I’ll tackle the effect of that abrupt change on my mental health as well as finally catching COVID in my next post.
What did these trials help me to understand about myself? Maybe you have struggled too with having to go back full-time to the office?
Did home office and/or catching COVID teach you something important about yourself, your relationship with work, your family, and your lifestyle? How has your mental and physical health been impacted?
If you want to see more of my pictures, you can visit my Flickr account.