Lexicographer Susie Dent tweeted the word ‘dumfungled’. From the 19th Century it means, she wrote, ‘used up, worn out, and entirely spent.’
Olive is the essence to remember when we have drained all our
energy, whether it’s the mental energy demanded of us in a difficult job, the emotional
energy used up in a challenging relationship, or the physical energy lost
during illness, or excessive activity such as a marathon. In all these
situations – and many more – we have become so exhausted we don’t know where to
put ourselves, or what to do next, in order to find some relief.
Olive is in the Group: Insufficient Interest in Present
Circumstances because we have nothing left to bring to the here and now. We’re
too tired to speak, to eat, to listen, to move even.
A friend who has a chronic neurological condition has been
advised by his specialist nurse to rest more, to try and nap during the
afternoon. Olive is now in the mix for him, to encourage him to do that. For
Olive does not stimulate us with a false sense of energy as would coffee or
alcohol, but rather prompts us to acknowledge that rest is the essential pre-requisite
before anything further is undertaken. Olive is nurturing and safe-guarding,
and the rest it encourages will ensure our lost energy ‘catches up with us’ and
brings us into the present moment again.
Artwork: linesbyloes on Instagram
“Respect your body when it tells you it needs
time to rest. If you don’t pick a time, your body will pick one for you.” Dr
Will Cole
No comments:
Post a Comment