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Take Care, Week Twelve in the No Longer New Abnormal

Take Care,  Week Twelve in the No Longer New Abnormal
Mar 17, 2024 by Janet Zinn

This past week I heard of the death of two people from my past.  I heard from three people presently who are ill, and we are all hearing about too many in our world who are in pain, who are suffering, or who have experienced significant losses.  Life is precious.  

This is Not about Daylight Savings Time, Week Eleven of the No Longer New Abnormal

This is Not about Daylight Savings Time, Week Eleven of the No Longer New Abnormal
Mar 10, 2024 by Janet Zinn

We can be shiny and perfect and admired, or we can be real and honest and vulnerable and loved. But we actually do have to choose Glennon Doyle Melton

 

I listen to Glennon’s podcast, “We Can Do Hard Things.”  On one of her podcasts she said that she used to worry that no one was listening to her.  Her audiences were small, her readership small.  But then she started seeing and hearing the few who were listening.  She realized that each person was important, not the number itself.  It was so meaningful to hear that.  I have taken it to heart.  

Procrastinate, Week Four in the No Longer New Abnormal

Procrastinate, Week Four in the No Longer New Abnormal
Jan 21, 2024 by Janet Zinn

 

“Procrastinate now, don't put it off.”
― Ellen DeGeneres

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I spent yesterday  procrastinating.  I cooked, I baked, I looked things up online.  What I didn’t do was tally my expenses for budgeting and taxes.  I am not fond of bookkeeping.  Nonetheless, I was able to sit down and focus after I did everything I could to avoid the inevitable.  It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated.  Nor was it as fun as taking the day off.  

I Like Quotes, Week One of The No-Longer-New-Abnormal

I Like Quotes, Week One of The No-Longer-New-Abnormal
Jan 07, 2024 by Janet Zinn

“Just do what works for you, because there will always be someone who thinks differently.”  Michelle Obama

 

I love quotes.  When I first started my psychotherapy private practice in the mid-90s before there were iPhones and Facebook, I had an answering machine, and the recording included quotes on there.  I changed them monthly or so, and it felt nice.  But I was a new therapist and I wanted to do things right.  It felt right to me.  Nonetheless, I was told by a senior therapist, one who I respected, that I might want to rethink having something so personal on my outgoing message.  The common practice was to be as neutral as possible. Her thinking was that a chosen quote could possibly be sharing unnecessary private information about me or, it might be misconceived.  

Ahhh, Naps, The Forty-Eighth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal

Ahhh, Naps, The Forty-Eighth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal
Dec 03, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Napping was my top priority this past week.  They were usually twenty to thirty minutes max.  They made a tremendous difference in my mood.  I was able to get through the week with a greater capacity for patience.  I had more room for the things that usually get under my skin, like loud car horns in grid lock, or the annoying overspill from packages protected with shredded paper or other messy stuffing. 

Spilled Coffee, The Forty-Seventh Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Spilled Coffee, The Forty-Seventh Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Nov 25, 2023 by Janet Zinn

I spilled my coffee earlier this week.  And I then let out a loud string of expletives to vocalize my frustration.  I cleaned up the mess and then rushed to work.  Not the way I had wanted to start my day.  My reaction, though provoked,  made it clear that I need some down time.  It may not be the vacation that I’ve fantasized, but even an evening in, or a task free afternoon will do at this point.  

Nature Speaks, The Forty-Sixth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Nature Speaks, The Forty-Sixth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Nov 18, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Autumn colors fire up Central Park.  I had the good fortune of walking through the park on several occasions this past week.  I was reminded that this season represents the last of the foliage as the trees and plants prepare for the winter.  Following winter comes a renewal as Spring brings greenery and flowers to enjoy.  Just seeing the colorful trees brought hope. 

Daylight Savings Time, The Forty-Fourth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Daylight Savings Time, The Forty-Fourth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Nov 05, 2023 by Janet Zinn

I voted early yesterday.  I like my councilwoman and I wanted to keep her in office.  What I don’t get to vote for is the abolishment of daylight savings time.  We turned the clocks back last night, and ostensibly we got an extra hour of sleep.  Then in April we “spring” ahead losing that hour.  I say, no thank you.  

Happy Halloween, The Forty-Third Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Happy Halloween, The Forty-Third Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Oct 28, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Some weeks are harder than others.  Having heard from a number of people this past week was just such a week.  I can certainly include myself in that mix.  For that reason, I am going to don a virtual mask, making this a quick post, while wishing you all a Happy Halloween.  Here are some city pics of the season. 

 

Self-Care Tips:

 

  • Give yourself a break.  If things are hard, find ways to let go of the normal routines to provide the energy needed for whatever is essential.
  • Dark humor that does not hurt anyone can even help in hard times.  
  • If you celebrate, enjoy Halloween.  If you don’t celebrate, lean into JOMO, the joy of missing out.  

Happy Halloween, The Forty-Third Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Happy Halloween, The Forty-Third Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Oct 28, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Some weeks are harder than others.  Having heard from a number of people this past week was just such a week.  I can certainly include myself in that mix.  For that reason, I am going to don a virtual mask, making this a quick post, while wishing you all a Happy Halloween.  Here are some city pics of the season. 

 

Self-Care Tips:

 

  • Give yourself a break.  If things are hard, find ways to let go of the normal routines to provide the energy needed for whatever is essential.
  • Dark humor that does not hurt anyone can even help in hard times.  
  • If you celebrate, enjoy Halloween.  If you don’t celebrate, lean into JOMO, the joy of missing out.  

I Am a Jewish Psychotherapist, The Forty-First Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

I Am a Jewish Psychotherapist, The Forty-First Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Oct 15, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Do I speak of the unspeakable?  This past week marks a tragic low in inhumane acts.  I cannot get my head around it.  As a Jewish psychotherapist I am in a similar position as I was when we faced the pandemic.  I am going through something that I am also hearing from my clients.  The sadness, along with so many other emotions, have been omnipresent this past week.  

What is Self-Care? The Fortieth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

What is Self-Care? The Fortieth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Oct 07, 2023 by Janet Zinn

When I was growing up in suburban New Jersey I didn’t know anything about self-care.  The first experience I had that felt like self-care was when my mom treated me to a facial at Strawbridge and Clothier.  They were having a special promotion.  Although I couldn’t control my weigh, we could try to tackle my acne this one time.  

Hygge, The Thirty-Eighth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Hygge, The Thirty-Eighth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Sep 24, 2023 by Janet Zinn
There is a distinct feeling of “hygge’” a Danish word for contentment that comes from comfort and an easy friendliness, that perfectly describes the vibe we encountered in Copenhagen.  Last week we had taken advantage of an Icelandair special to visit Copenhagen.  I have always wanted to go to Nordic countries, but they seemed so remote.  This deal with a stopover in Iceland was exactly what I needed to bridge the gap from a dream to a reality.  

Behind the Facade, The Thirty-Third Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Behind the Facade, The Thirty-Third Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Aug 20, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Growing up my mother and her mother were sticklers for good manners.  I made a point of saying please and thank you.  I was afraid they would view me as rude, and I didn’t want that moniker.  My grandmother would point out other children who might have been louder than us, or publicly whiny, and she’d use those children as cautionary tails of behavior we were to stringently avoid.  

Summer Relief, The Thirty-Second Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal

Summer Relief, The Thirty-Second Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal
Aug 12, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Although this cannot be said of much of the country or world, we in New York City have enjoyed a reprieve from the intense heat of July.  It has been delightful.  Today I relished a breezy morning riding my low-to-the-ground bicycle up and down Park Avenue for the annual Summer Streets event.  The Department of Transportation closes streets on Saturdays in all five boroughs throughout late July and August for pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists as a way of promoting greener transportation.    

Mundane Day, The Thirty-First Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Mundane Day, The Thirty-First Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Aug 05, 2023 by Janet Zinn

What am I doing this weekend?  Nothing special and everything essential.  In an Instagram world of glamourous posts, my weekend is the antithesis of awesome.  I started early to ensure I could easily access the washing machines needed for the weekly laundry.  Luckily for me, it was a ghost town before 7 am, and I peacefully and quietly secured my machines and loaded them from the full hampers.  

Lost in Brooklyn, The Twenty-Ninth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal

Lost in Brooklyn, The Twenty-Ninth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal
Jul 22, 2023 by Janet Zinn

I set out to go to The Brooklyn Museum to see the Africa Fashion exhibit.  I had intended to see it twice before but got waylaid, so my determination to get there yesterday was fierce.  My plan was to slowly jog in Prospect Park getting out at the arch and walking the few blocks to the museum.  Once I made it to Prospect Park at an unfamiliar entrance, I opened up Maps on my iPhone and set off.  

Ai Instillation, The Twenty-Eighth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal

Ai Instillation, The Twenty-Eighth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal
Jul 16, 2023 by Janet Zinn

I was tired, it was hot, and I was happy to be at MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art, on West 53rd Street.  The galleries were crowded, but I took my time enjoying new exhibitions and old favorites. After the slow perusal of four floors, I was spent.  But I still had almost an hour before our dinner reservation down the block.  

Rest & Activity, The Twenty-Fifth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal

Rest & Activity, The Twenty-Fifth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal
Jun 25, 2023 by Janet Zinn
It was a muggy day in the city.  I went to bed late and gave myself the luxury of resting in bed yesterday morning.  There was a lot to do, but my body craved relaxation, and rather than rush to place my feet on the floor, I lingered under the sheets, enjoying the ease of a restful morning.  

Fathers Day, The Twenty-Fourth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Fathers Day, The Twenty-Fourth Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Jun 18, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Happy Father’s Day.  When I say that it conjures up so much for me and for so many others, I expect you included.  Many of us have had varied relationships with our fathers nothing like Father Knows Best, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Blackish, or even Home Improvement.  If only we could tune in for 30 minutes a week and enjoy the comical moments that focus on the highlights of the best parts of them, with a little silly thrown in.