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How to Turn Off the “I’m Not Enough” Chatter
I’m about to start my usual end of week ritual of trying to electronically and mentally unplug.
(I exempt my iPhone.) On very rare occasions, this ritual coincides with a real moment of accomplishment and I can easily relax in peace. But what’s more typical is a kind of forced letting go, regardless of the goals I’ve achieved (or not) during the last 6 days or whether I’ve lived up to the kind of person I want to be. For the next 24 hours, my tradition tells me, it’s okay. I’ve done enough. And that’s a relief.
Happy weekend everyone. May it be filled with calm, joy and really great food.
Artwork by David Shrigley
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Have a great weekend! Taking a brief hiatus from technology’s a cool idea.
Ah, this is something I’ve found SO valuable. I take one day off a week, and I’m very protective of that time. It’s a day to rest, to do things I find restorative (go for a hike, ride a horse, talk to a friend), maybe putter around the house a bit, and remind myself that I am more than what I accomplish and that the world will go on spinning without me. It’s very difficult and feels profoundly counter-cultural in a world where the predominant message is always “if you aren’t sleep deprived, you aren’t working hard enough.” But I treasure that day. I always, always feel better after I’ve done it.
Lauren, do you take this respite on a particular day of the week?
Wendy, I do. Otherwise, it’s too easy to put it off, and then it never happens. So my routine is to work hard until dinner time on Saturday, then take Saturday night, all day Sunday, and Sunday night off. I may be up at 5 or 5:30 on Monday morning to get back to work, but something about those two nights and one full day off works really well for me.
Great plan, Lauren. Mine is to take off Friday night to Saturday night. And sometimes I keep going until Sunday morning.