hey, cheesecake.

yeah. i’m just… tired

and i know you are, too. because you tell me

and even when you don’t, i mean… how could you NOT be?

the world is heavy, and it has been for so long now

on top of ALL. THE. THINGS. in your personal life, in your professional life, in the inner workings of your one magnificently unique life —

you’ve been navigating all that in the midst of a political landscape fit more for sketch comedy + horror stories than a real life that respects… anyone or anything, really

where no human is worthy of dignity, and truth itself has been co-opted + utterly stripped of meaning

and you’ve been doing it on a several-year foundation of pandemic isolation + uncertainty, followed by a post-pandemic terrain possibly more confounding than even that —

because no one (least of all you) expects you to STILL be struggling with the very real, extended fallout from that

so yeah… it’s a lot

as a passion-powered leader with a small business + big vision, you’re no stranger to feast or famine ebbs + flows. you LIVE in a perpetual state of limning spaces, plugging holes, and bridging gaps

your body is malleable + your heart can withstand the stretch + pull of holding it all together

but bloom…

even YOU need a freaking break

i know it’s a little scary, because once you let yourself sigh + sink into some rest, your body will remind you of how much more you really need

and it might feel overwhelming

and you might feel like you can’t possibly muscle up + get back to all the things, so better not to rest at all

but i know you know that continuing to IGNORE this need will only make it worse

i rec a two-pronged approach of getting rest now AND weaving it into your days + weeks for sustainable support

while i LOVE a good nap or sleep in, that’s by no means the only way to heal + rejuvenate your sweet depleted soul

in addition to traditional REST, here are some other things that can help you fight what i’ve just decided to call “world order fatigue” —

exhaustion around the state of the world, on a deep level

let’s see which ones you could easily infuse into your days, and which other ones you might uncover…

🤸🏽‍♀️ things that bring JOY

if you love flowers… seek out more flowers!

bring fresh bouquets into your office, paper your walls with vibrant images, stick your face in flowers you pass on streets, visit the floral department every time you go to the supermarket + make a moment of breathing all that perfume in!

you don’t have to BUY all the things you love to enjoy them

you don’t need a line item in your budget to take your self-care seriously… though you certainly CAN, and i highly recommend!

but making it a LIFESTYLE to honor what brings you joy, and to intentionally weave it into your days, is a way that you can help alleviate world order fatigue + fortify yourself against it without expending EFFORT

wouldn’t you like your healing to be effortless once in a while?

making joy a regular part of your days can do just that

some things that bring ME joy that i intentionally weave into my days, weeks + months:

flowers, pretty skyscapes, singing my heart out, comedy/laughter, connecting with friends, live music, dancing, cute flavor combinations, supporting local biz + witnessing magicmakers making magic in the playground of their talent

🌊 things that bring PEACE

stress, overwhelm + anxiety aren’t going anywhere. even when you have killer practices for keeping them at bay, life lifes + stress does come

when you add in world order issues + gross violations of civil liberties home + abroad, it can be very disorienting —

keeping you in a topsy turvy stew of deep despair, roiling rage, abject hopelessness, and very real urgency that, if you don’t ease it in some way, will totally overtake you + prevent you from doing any of the good you’re here to do

it’s crucial to consider what soothes, calms or quiets the noise. for real, not just what other people tell you does or should

i was just on a call where someone named the power of nervous system regulation that happens when you gather in aligned community around a shared intention, and to just BE

(it was on a call for a movement-based community i’m in, though the same is true for the community i hold, too. if you wanna know more about either, say the word!)

it can be helpful to carve out time for yourself to do these things that bring you peace all on their own, as well as to bring them into situations that you’d like to experience as more peaceful

for example, you might like to play rain sounds to drift off to sleep, but you could experiment with playing them while you sort through bills, too

some things that bring ME peace that i intentionally weave into my days, weeks + months:

going to the beach in any season, meditating, playing music in my ear buds, putting a hand on my belly or my chest (or both) while i slow my breathing down, stretching, setting ambiance with lighting, doing the dishes, organizing photos + files, exploring

these are some great places to start

the most important thing is that you assess what YOU need most, and that you actually commit to doing it

this isn’t selfish, bloom. it’s highly necessary

and it just so happens to be revolutionary work

so go ahead and bust some harmful norms while you fill your empty cup

i dare ya

xxoo, cc

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