Phew- it sure was a rocky old night last night. I checked the Geonet website this morning to discover there had been no less than 8 'quakes during the night. Some people out in the largely untouched western suburbs even lost power for a while. Poor them...

Like most folks- I'm heartily sick of all the quakes and all they bring, but of course continuing with life, as there are no real alternatives.  As most folks in Christchurch will also attest- there is only one conversation in town these days. It's an important conversation, and it's one that helps make sense of things, helps us process our own responses, and ultimately  helps us to also move forward, so its an important conversation to keep having with those around us. 

Sometimes though, it's not always a helpful conversation. What I'm meaning is that there are going to be days (and yes, these days will increase in time)  when you might feel quite good, quite on top of things, and then suddenly you are again in the middle of The Conversation, then walking away from it when you are finished, and then noticing that you are no longer feeling so good after all.

This highlights to me again, the importance of monitoring our own levels of stress, and of being protective or ourselves. If you are having a good day, makes sure it stays that way, by minimising your involvement in in-depth conversations about heavy duty earthquake stuff. Ensure that there are even days when you have a little earthquake bubble around you, when no earthquake stuff can get through. In a practical sense, this might mean allocating yourself one day a week, when you do not participate in The Conversation. And if someone wants to talk about earthquake stuff, that you discreetly remove yourself, or you even state outright, that  today you are in your earthquake-free zone, and will not be joining The Conversation today.


Go Well!