Hello!
I hope these words find you well,
This past week has been hard.
I know what you're thinking. It’s the summertime. You're home. School's out. You haven't worked a single real job this summer. What could you possibly be finding so tough?
For starters, let’s lay off on the comparison, as I’m sure you’re guilty of the same. Here I am, assuming you know all of these things about me when, chances are, you don't know the half of them.
Things can be tough. Life can feel hard. Days, weeks, even months, can get tough. You can be stressed. You can feel tired. You can have feelings, worries, and problems too, no matter the current circumstance. So, my first piece of advice to you and me? Let's drop the whole comparison thing (which we both know is a masked victim sentence) and instead try focusing on ourselves instead. You and only you. Me and only me.
This week has been tough. And frankly, I couldn’t really tell you why.
Suddenly, my sleep schedule has become a wreck; I feel exhausted all the time, hungry all the time, I take naps during the day (but can't sleep at night), and I find it impossible to get out of bed before 10 (when my usual wake time is somewhere between 7:00 and 8:30). I can’t even get myself to go on my hot girl walks!
Interrupted sacred morning routines, sleep schedules, eating patterns, and hot girl walks getting are enough for me to feel like things are tough. I have ADHD, so I'm a big routine girl. I pretty much rely on a smooth basic set of routines to set me up for success. If not, I feel like a big, hot mess.
But this time, instead of being so hard on myself or forcing myself to get "back on track" (whatever that means—life is changing every day), I’ve decided to listen and give myself and my body the rest it is very clearly begging for.
Basic self-care is essential to your health and well-being, and ultimately, the way you show up in the world.
For me, that means sleeping more. No alarms. Less things on the to-do list. No crazy errand runs. No big plans. Less screen time. More water. Moving my body slowly. Feeding my body. Being bored and giving my brain a break to wander.
So, until my batteries recharge, I’ll be busy completing the list above.
I am not, by any means, encouraging you to go all soft on yourself. I very strongly believe that you need to push yourself, especially when things get tough. But you can push yourself without being mean, judgmental, or critical of yourself. At the end of the day, it is you against you, and you deserve love no matter what. If you want to show up strong and resilient, if you want to show up as your best self, you need to listen more carefully. What is your body telling you?
Be kind and respect its wishes, always with a little push.
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