“Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started.”
― Gretchen Rubin, Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness

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While growing up my mother expected us, myself and four siblings, to do chores. The first chore that was assigned to us was to make our bed before leaving for school. As we grew older there were other things for us to do. I was responsible for the yard, cutting, raking, and shoveling. My sister when they were old enough to handle the stove were to start dinner so that our mother would finish up when she arrived home from work. When I entered high school I learned how to wash my clothes.

There were many times that I would grumble, out of the range of my parents hearing, why isn’t someone else helping with these things. I look back on those times and to be truthful, I am thankful for learning those tasks. I know how to keep a house, washing clothes, cooking, and yes, baking. I learned to bake from my grandmother.

Striving to achieve great mental health there are things that I have learned that sometimes I just have to do them.

Here is a list:

• eat properly
• keep a hygiene regiment
• limit the intake of negativity. This includes, television, some negative people, family and friends.
• take time to enjoy a hobby, reading, writing, or a craft
• make sure to take all medications at the proper time

For the last several moths I have been returning to reading, not e-books, but, actual hard cover. I forgot the joy there is in reading printed on paper, joy of turning the page manually.

So, dear reader, sometimes you just have to do it!