It’s been a hard week in my personal life.
So this newsletter serves a dual purpose of KISS (keep it simple, silly) and checking the box of talking to you.
It started as a “how can I be helpful with limited time?” I am currently feeling some personal challenges that are gobbling up my time (a couple family members needing my presence), so this newsletter needed to be simple!
But it was also informed by talking to our Important Conversations book club group, where we were discussing the book “Rest is Resistance.” Our ending question yesterday was “So what would be the most meaningful challenge you could take on to engage in more rest?”
I realized that I fit all my “foundational” or daily self-care practices into the beginning of the day so I don’t miss them with the current of the day that drags me ever-forward. Then I do my “quick turnaround techniques” anytime I feel myself getting ramped up during the rest of the day. Meaning: Not ramped up? Not slowing down for self-care after 9am! Then my next self-care isn’t until bedtime where I start dimming lights, reading, slowing down.
BUT . . .
What if self-care isn’t truly radical until you just choose to insert something, like a nap or a walk, into the middle of the day EVEN IF the current of the day keeps tugging at you?
THAT would be radical.
So I inserted a nap and a meditation today. A meditation with my favorite self-care app: Insight Meditation Timer.
I feel a little guilty, which means I’ve bought into some crazy grind culture ethic that I don’t really even value. This is a good guilty to have to work through, because the end result was feeling a little feisty (no one can tell me what to do but me) and a lot better energy for my last client of the day.
So? What is the most meaningful challenge YOU could take on to engage in more rest?
And bonus:
Here’s a link to a list of mental health apps that I offer to clients regularly as a support to their self-care practices. Are there any you would add?
www.calm.com
breethe.com
www.smilingmind.com.au
www.happify.com
insighttimer.com
www.sleepcycle.com
www.bettersleep.com
www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/mobile-apps/breathe2relax
elitehrv.com
www.lionsroar.com
www.mysymptoms.net
emdrtappers.com
apps.apple.com/us/app/ptsd-coach/id430646302