Listen to yourself. We all know the things that we need in our lives. We just need to tinker with when exactly we need them. It’s easy to get into a routine, sometimes become complacent, and end up detracting from our wellbeing by doing the very things that were intended to serve it. When this happens, listen to yourself.
We all know the time-tested and data proven formula. Sleep. Diet. Exercise. Meditation. Learning/intellectual stimulation. Meaningful social interaction. Exploration. Reflection. You pack those 8 things into your life and you have a good shot at a meaningful one. You pack those 8 things into your life and you’re on your way to mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing. Can I guarantee? Almost.
But sometimes we get burnt out of the very things that are supposed to burn us out. Sometimes, we need to take a break from the things that are meant to give us a break. At the end of the day, that just means we’re human. We all do from time to time.
I’ll give you an example from personal experience. I started journaling during college and have really benefited from it. It’s helped me process life on a much deeper level. During spring of 2021, my days got really monotonous work. It was the throes of busy season working in audit and every day was pretty much the same, doing what a CPA does (Copy, Paste, Adjust) 🤣. With that came a 2 month gap in my journal. I knew each night when I would arrive there that I had no interest in doing it. My entries would have no depth. Was I in a rut? Not necessarily. I just knew what levers to pull and when and that wasn’t the time. I could’ve pushed myself to journal every night but to what end? What was there to gain?
There’s a balance between listening to yourself and taking time away from things and being downright lazy. Know when to push yourself and when to put your foot on the gas. That comes from listening to yourself. Know what levers to pull and win. That’s optimization.
Mental Diet
Quote of the Week:
“Mortality makes it impossible to ignore the absurdity of living solely for the future.” - Oliver Burkeman
I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Until next time… Take care of yourself and take care of each other. 🙏
Nathan
Really enjoyed this one... it was a reminder I needed. Sometimes there's not enough time in the day to do all the good things that can contribute to my wellbeing. Trying to cram them all in 100% of the time can be exhausting and counter-productive. There are times to be intentional about letting the right things drop temporarily, so the practices I carry forward can best serve me. Sometimes I want to push the Meaningful Social Interaction lever to 100... making plans to travel and visit friends, meet up with people I care about... but when I push this component of my wellbeing too far, other essential components fall to the wayside (sleep, exercise, diet, etc). I need to work on listening to myself so I continue to be intentional about spending time with others, while also taking other components of my wellbeing into account and not pushing myself too far.... but hey, sometimes it's good for me to lose a little sleep in exchange for a fun time with friends.
Thank you for this reflection Nathan.